Christmas 2026 will bring a brighter and greener return for everyone’s favorite ogre.
Shrek will return with his family of five in the upcoming Shrek 5.
Universal Pictures and DreamWorks have added singer and actress Zendaya to the main voice cast.
Zendaya will voice Felicia, the daughter of Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz).
The casting may feel like a dream come true for Zendaya.
In a 2017 post on X, she mentioned watching Shrek “too” often during her early adult years.
New chapter as a voice actor
Zendaya will expand her voice-acting experience with Shrek 5.
She previously voiced Meechee in the 2018 animated film Smallfoot.
She also played Lola Bunny in 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Zendaya has also built a strong career as an actress.
She became a child star through Disney Channel shows.
Her best-known early roles include Rocky Blue in Shake It Up.
She played the character from 2010 to 2013.
Zendaya later starred as K.C. Cooper in K.C. Undercover.
The Disney Channel series ran from 2015 to 2018.
Shrek 5 will arrive in cinemas on December 23, 2026.
Zendaya also has several major projects planned for the same year.
She will appear in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
She will also return as MJ in an untitled fourth Spider-Man film from Marvel Studios.
Zendaya will also reprise her role as Rue Bennett in the third season of HBO’s Euphoria.
The comeback of legendary characters
Myers, Diaz, and Eddie Murphy will all reprise their renowned voices as Shrek, Fiona and Donkey, respectively, as the film’s premise remains unknown, according to a report from Billboard Philippines.
Shrek 5 will be directed by the franchise’s longtime partners, Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon.
Prior to becoming head of narrative and voicing Rumpelstiltskin in “Shrek Forever After,” Dohrn worked as a story artist and writer on “Shrek 2” and “Shrek the Third.”
Vernon voiced the Gingerbread Man and co-directed “Shrek 2.”
Teaser’s ‘ugly’ Shrek causes online frenzy
The release of the film’s short teaser on February 27, along with the voice cast and revised character designs appear to reflect the latest Gen Z trends and culture.
The video clip shows Shrek and Donkey, looking into a magic mirror, asking: “Who’s the fairest of them all?” before it replies: “Shrek of course’.
A series of images of the ogre pouting, dancing in a black leather bodysuit and shirtless with a ripped chest in TikTok style are then shown.
Users took to social media to criticise the animation redesign with some likening it to the “Ugly Sonic” tactic.
This alludes to the dispute around the original Sonic design of the 2020 live-action Sonic the Hedgehog, which received a lot of backlash for deviating from the original.
Some argue that studios now employ this scheme, releasing controversial designs to create a stir and start discussions, which increases the public’s anticipation of the project.
A success since 2001
With over $2 billion in worldwide box office and home video sales, the Shrek franchise has been an enormous hit.
“Shrek 2” ($919.8 million) is the franchise’s highest-grossing movie, following “Shrek the Third” ($799 million), “Shrek Forever After” ($752.6 million) and “Shrek” ($484.4 million).
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