From the Fairy Godmother slaying her rendition of "I Need A Hero" (some may say it was better than the original) to a donkey and dragon love affair (with the cutest babies), Shrek has given adults and kids alike some of the funniest fairytale references since its debut in 2001. The world's favorite ogre is back in business, and our inner children could not be happier!

DreamWorks Animation has officially announced that Shrek 5 is in the works, with a release date set for July 1, 2026. The best part? Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz are all confirmed to return, reprising their roles as Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona. Antonio Banderas has yet to be confirmed to return as Puss in Boots.

What We Know About Shrek 5

The film will be directed by Walt Dohrn, a Shrek veteran who worked as a writer and artist on Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third, and voiced the mischievous Rumpelstiltskin in Shrek Forever After. This time around, Dohrn will be teaming up with producer Gina Shay, a familiar face from the Shrek universe, and Chris Meledandri, the mastermind behind Illumination and hits like Despicable Me and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Co-director Brad Ableson is also on board, adding to the film's powerhouse creative team.

Eddie Murphy let the cat out of the bag earlier this year, revealing that he's already started recording his lines for the film. "We started doing Shrek 5 months ago," Murphy told Collider. "I did this. I recorded the first act, and we'll be doing it this year, we'll finish it up. Shrek is coming out, and Donkey's gonna have his own movie. We're gonna do Donkey as well. So we're gonna do a Shrek, and we're doing a Donkey movie."

About The Shrek Franchise

The Shrek franchise, which began in 2001, quickly turned DreamWorks Animation into a major player in the world of animated films. The original Shrek not only grossed $487 million worldwide, but it also won the first-ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Shrek 2 followed with even greater success, raking $928 million at the global box office. While Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After didn't reach the same heights as their predecessors, they still pulled in impressive numbers, earning $813 million and $752 million worldwide, respectively. The Puss in Boots spinoffs were also hits, with the most recent installment, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, grossing $484 million and earning an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.