Zendaya Joins Shrek 5 Cast in Surprise Reveal

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Zendaya is ready for her next challenge.

I am thrilled to share that I’ve been announced as part of the cast for “Shrek 5” by Universal Pictures, as stated in their announcement on February 27th. In a sneak peek trailer, it appears that the original gang is reuniting: Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and Pinocchio. However, this time, they’re accompanied by Felicia, the grown-up daughter of Shrek and Fiona, who will be voiced by none other than Zendaya.

In the introductory scene, Shrek and Donkey encounter the magical mirror again. Instead of their regular images, they see Shrek’s Snapchat-style versions pop up. First, an enormous dancing Shrek looms over houses, followed by a muscular Shrek sporting a six pack. Then, Felicia appears on screen, commenting, “Yuck, dad.

The video concludes with a cast reveal, during which the magic mirror’s voice in the backdrop recites the names of returning actors such as Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz. It then adds, “And… Zendaya? Oh-hoh, that’s surprising.

To clarify, Felicia first appeared as a character in the movie “Shrek the Third” when she was born together with her brothers Fergus and Farkle as triplets. Since then, she has been seen as a toddler in the 2010 Halloween special titled “Scared Shrekless,” and also in the latest film installment of the franchise called “Shrek Forever After” which was released the same year.

Mike announced in December that a new Shrek film (Shrek 5) was being developed, as he looked back on his experiences with the character. Interestingly, he shared that when he initially learned about the 2001 movie, he wasn’t too thrilled, even going so far as to tell Vulture in December that upon hearing the proposed title for the first time, he thought it was one of the worst he’d ever heard.

Simultaneously, the new Shrek movie serves as Cameron’s comeback to acting following a ten-year hiatus from the camera, as she and Benji Madden have been growing their family during this time.

She recently shared with TopMob News that she feels fortunate to return after a decade and have the opportunity to create a film at this scale once more, to entertain audiences again. For her, this is not just an option, but a privilege, something she deeply appreciates.

The fifth installment of Shrek is set to hit theaters on December 23, 2026, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the initial film’s release.

For secrets from the Shreak films and more keep reading…

The journey began with a book, not the storybook in Shrek’s bathroom from the movie Shrek. Instead, it refers to William Steig’s 1990 children’s book titled Shrek!, which turned the conventional girl-meets-prince-and-lives-happily-ever-after tale upside down. This unique story was cherished by producer John Williams’ children.

In an interview with Cinema.com, eventual star Mike Myers shared that they adored the project and presented it to Jeffrey Katzenberg at DreamWorks. This led DreamWorks to take interest in it, eventually transforming a 28-page book into the movie we know today. The story revolves around an ogre with a foul odor who doesn’t worry about what others think of him.

2. As the voice originally chosen for Shrek, I found myself, Chris Farley, almost completing all the dialogue before my untimely death due to a drug overdose in 1997. After my demise, director Andrew Adamson shared with Inverse that we faced a significant setback for quite some time, stating, “It was deeply saddening on a personal level. I even asked Jeffrey Katzenberg if he could dismiss me, but he didn’t. Mike Myers then joined the team, and we regrouped and refocused.”

3. For Myers, it was a quick agreement to join the project. “Upon learning about the movie and hearing that Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow were part of it, I immediately replied, ‘I’m in,'” Myers shared with the site. “I was captivated by the entire concept, which emphasizes that beauty lies within, regardless of what others may say about your appearance due to not matching the ideals portrayed in magazines or the current ideal body image.

4. One piece of information the producers kept hidden from him: He was not their initial pick. As it turned out, he correctly guessed this himself during a 2014 episode of Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. “I had my suspicions,” he admitted, “They weren’t going to tell me I wasn’t their first choice. While working on the movie, I noticed the small clay model of Shrek and thought, ‘Could this have been offered to Chris Farley?’

5. After securing the role, Myers shared with Cinema.com that the character’s portrayal underwent some changes, such as giving him a Scottish accent. Interestingly, he adopted the thick brogue after experimenting initially with the voice from his “Lothar of the Hill People” sketch on Saturday Night Live and a more robust version of his Canadian accent.

He expressed on the WTF podcast that he had observed, “Scottish people have this unique ability to be incredibly joyful and then extremely angry,” and he found it so intriguing that he exclaimed, “That’s just like an ogre!” (It turned out the $4 million expense was a wise investment. Myers received a letter from producer Steven Spielberg, expressing gratitude for his efforts in redoing the project.)

6. A significant change was made by committing wholeheartedly to computer-generated imagery, as the initial plan was to use motion capture for the film.

Editor Sim Evan-Jones shared that the original plan was to employ puppets for the four-legged characters in the production. However, they opted for actors in fat suits instead, which didn’t work out well and resulted in a messy scene. The Shrek character resembled the one from the movie but was played by an actor in a fat suit walking through town, getting mugged by a character named Mugger. The donkey was portrayed using an actor for the back legs with brooms as the front legs.

7. Ah, I see, the initial narrative was quite bleak as well. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Aretos, the production designer, shared with Vice in 2016 that the tale was excessively gloomy and it was making the movie too dark as well. If they had proceeded with that approach, it could have become an obscure cult film. However, Jeffrey preferred a unique storyline that also held mass appeal.

In the course of their renovation, they arrived at the point where Shrek and his companion Donkey journeyed to confront Lord Farquaad regarding the expulsion of the storybook outcasts from Shrek’s marsh.

According to Aretos, Farquaad “insists on a content population, using force if need be, and everything must be orderly and flawless.” So, we began conceptualizing, and the visuals produced…resembled Disneyland. Upon viewing our creations, Jeffrey Katzenberg remarked, “That’s identical to Disneyland! Go ahead and make it even more enjoyable; let’s amp up the excitement!

8. Back in 2013, during an interview on the show Today, Nicolas Cage shared his thoughts on turning down the opportunity to play the beloved ogre in a billion-dollar franchise. He clarified, “People might say it was due to vanity, but I don’t think that’s quite accurate. The real reason is, I’m not afraid to appear unattractive in a film.” He further added, “When you draw, in essence, it communicates more about how children will perceive you than anything else, and I value that deeply.

He declined the role for the same reason he agreed to voice Grug in last year’s “The Croods”. As Cage put it, “I wanted kids to see Grug and think, ‘He’s a bit scary, but he’s a big cuddly bear.'” However, he wasn’t confident that he could pull off the same charm with Shrek.

10. Initially, Janeane Garofalo was slated to wear Fiona’s crown, but that wasn’t me. In an interview with Vulture, she shared her thoughts on the change: “I was never given a reason,” she said. “I can only speculate that it might have been due to my voice sounding somewhat masculine at times, although I was never explicitly told.

 

10. (As an obsessed fan) I couldn’t believe it when the towering John Lithgow had to bend over backward for the part of the diminutive ruler with a Napoleon complex – Lord Farquaad! In 2009, he confessed to the Los Angeles Times, “I swore I’d never play anyone short,” and yet, here was an opportunity that defied my expectations. I’m typically the one being pitched ideas, not the other way around. The offers I receive always catch me off guard, and I just can’t wait to dive into the next exciting project!

One amusing part was influenced by a kids’ record, as shared by storyboard artist Conrad Vernon with Inverse. When it came to developing a scene based on the Gingerbread Man story, he recalled, “I sat down at my desk and pondered, ‘What do I really know about this character?’ Then, I had this old television set with a record player on top of it. On one side of the record was the ‘Gingerbread Man’ tale, while the other side told ‘Do You Know the Muffin Man?’

The intriguing thought struck him: “What if they were extracting information from the Gingerbread Man through torture? But how do you torment a gingerbread man? By snapping his legs and submerging him in milk,” Vernon elaborated. “It occurred to me, ‘Perhaps he doesn’t sing the ‘Muffin Man’ song; maybe it’s more about interrogation.’ I jotted down my idea on a scrap of paper and sketched it out later. When I presented it, I employed that unique delivery.

Katzenberg was taken by his comedy and voice acting abilities. As for playing the character in the movie, Vernon mentioned that they looked for replacements for about two months, but ultimately decided, “Forget it. We can’t seem to find anyone suitable. Can you give it a try?

12. Chris Miller, a storyboard artist, reminisced about how the filmmakers were given free rein to create more comedic elements after an initial scene, where Shrek is seen reading a fairytale book only to be revealed that he’s in the bathroom, drew laughter at a screening. This marked the green light for them to develop the movie into a full-blown comedy featuring plenty of gross-out humor.

Instead, Director Adamson shared with Inverse, “We essentially crafted the film for ourselves, yet ensured it could be understood by kids instead of creating an adult-friendly movie for children.

Throughout the creation, they delved into the gritty aspects. Some of the movie’s creators experimented with real mud baths as a study for Shrek’s chosen washing routine. Additionally, art director Douglas Rogers had an encounter with an alligator during a visit to a magnolia plantation he arranged to draw inspiration for Shrek’s swamp environment.

14. In essence, Shrek played a significant role in the creation of almost every DreamWorks movie that came after it, including Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, Monsters vs. Aliens, and How to Train Your Dragon.

In a 2007 interview with The Age, Katzenberg stated that the franchise was instrumental in defining our company, reflecting what DreamWorks Animated films are and could be. Essentially, they played a significant role in helping us discover our identity. He added that the first Shrek movie saved our company financially, enabling us to exist as we do today. It has been a continual source of blessing for us, which he calls an unending gift.

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2025-02-27 23:54