Shrek’s Donkey Spinoff Movie Gets a Positive Release Update After a Year of Silence
Eddie Murphy’s fast-talking and endlessly loyal Donkey swiftly became one of the most beloved and memorable characters to come out of the pop culture phenomenon that is Shrek. The hit film swiftly became a billion-dollar franchise, spawning not only three sequels over the past twenty-odd years with a fifth Shrek currently on the way, but also two successful spinoff films that put Antonio Banderas’s character Puss in Boots at the forefront. Last year, we learned from Murphy himself that a solo Donkey film was in the works, much to fans’ delight. And now, while promoting his latest film The Pickup, Murphy gave us another promising update on Donkey’s turn as leading mule on screen.
Speaking with ScreenRant, Murphy revealed that though he’s still in the recording booth on Shrek 5, he’ll begin recording the dialog for the upcoming Donkey film in September of this year, and “that’ll be [released] three years from now.” While three years may seem like a while away, animation is a notoriously lengthy and arduous process, and the fact that DreamWorks, the studio behind the Shrek franchise, has a date for Donkey’s film means that project is likely a priority for them.
Murphy also alluded that the Donkey movie will resemble Puss in Boots’s star turn in his spinoff films Puss in Boots and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The actor also revealed that the upcoming film is going to build on one of the wildest plot points of Donkey’s story:
“We’re still in the booth, and literally, we’re still doing Shrek. We start in September on Donkey, we’re doing a Donkey one, and that’ll be three years from now, but we’re about two years into Shrek 5. Still in the booth and about to start Donkey in September… Donkey‘s going to be like how Puss in Boots had his own movie, Donkey’s going to have his own movie, own little story with his dragon wife and his kids that are half-dragon and half-donkeys. They’ve written this funny story. We’re doing that, starting that in September.”
Donkey’s children with his Dragon wife, the “Dronkey’s” were initially introduced in Shrek 2, and made brief appearances in the subsequent Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After films. Affectionately referred to by their father as “little mutant babies” the six hybrid creatures do all have names – Debbie, Coco, Bananas, Peanut, Parfait and Eclair – despite their minor roles in the franchise up until now. Though they may also pop up in Shrek 5 since Donkey will also be a part of that upcoming movie, it seems that the Donkey film will be the first time we’ll get to spend time with the Dronkey’s.
In addition to the spinoff, Murphy also gave an update on the highly anticipated Shrek 5, confirming he’s “still in the booth” for the film and the cast is “about two years into” the project, which is set for a Christmas 2026 release. Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz are set to reprise their voiceover roles alongside Murphy, reuniting Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey. Zendaya is joining the cast as Shrek and Fiona’s teenage daughter, Felicia.
DreamWorks released a brief, but glorious teaser announcing the cast of Shrek 5 in February of this year. In it, Shrek scrolls through memes and videos of him on his magic mirror much like we would on our phones, and Pinocchio unsuccessfully denies that he made a thirst trap of Shrek. It seems that even two decades later, the creative team behind Shrek haven’t lost the offbeat humor that made the film such a hit in the first place. Therefore, we have cautious optimism that the same will apply Murphy’s Donkey film too.
Shrek 5 hits theaters December 23, 2026.
