Shrek’s Donkey Spinoff Movie Gets a Positive Release Update After a Year of Silence

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Eddie Murphy’s quick-witted and loyal character Donkey quickly became one of the most cherished and unforgettable figures to emerge from the cultural juggernaut known as Shrek. The movie was a massive success, eventually growing into a billion-dollar franchise with four sequels spanning over two decades, and a fifth Shrek installment now in production. Additionally, it led to two successful spin-off films focusing on Antonio Banderas’s character Puss in Boots. Last year, we heard directly from Murphy that a standalone Donkey movie was being developed, much to the excitement of fans. Now, while promoting his newest film The Pickup, Murphy offered another exciting update about Donkey taking center stage on screen.

Murphy shared with ScreenRant that even though he’s currently in the recording booth for Shrek 5, he will start recording the dialogue for the upcoming Donkey movie in September of this year, and it’s scheduled for release three years from now. Although three years might seem far off, animation is known for being a time-consuming and intricate process. The fact that DreamWorks, the studio responsible for the Shrek series, has a release date for Donkey’s film indicates that this project is probably high on their priority list.

Murphy hinted that the Donkey movie will share similarities with Puss in Boots’s lead roles in his solo films, specifically Puss in Boots and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Additionally, the actor disclosed that the upcoming film will expand upon one of Donkey’s most adventurous storylines.

We’re currently working on Shrek and will continue to do so for another two years. In September, we’ll start working on a new project featuring Donkey, which will be his own movie. This project will focus on the adventures of Donkey, his dragon wife, and their half-dragon, half-donkey children. The story is said to be quite amusing.

The offspring of Donkey and his Dragon spouse, affectionately known as “Dronkeys,” were first introduced in Shrek 2, making brief appearances in subsequent movies like Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After. Their father fondly calls them “little mutant babies.” Although they have names (Debbie, Coco, Bananas, Peanut, Parfait, and Eclair), their roles in the franchise have been limited so far. They might appear again in Shrek 5 since Donkey is part of that upcoming film as well. However, it seems that the forthcoming Donkey movie will be the first time we’ll get to spend more time with the Dronkeys.

Apart from discussing the spinoff, Murphy also provided some exciting news about the upcoming fifth installment of Shrek, titled Shrek 5. He mentioned that he’s still recording his voice for the film and the team is currently around two years into the project, aiming for a Christmas 2026 premiere. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy will reprise their roles as Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey respectively, marking their return to these beloved characters. Additionally, Zendaya has been cast as Felicia, the teenage daughter of both Shrek and Fiona.

Back in February, DreamWorks Studios unveiled an intriguing sneak peek for Shrek 5, which showcased its star-studded cast. In this teaser, Shrek peruses memes and clips of himself on his enchanted mirror, reminiscent of how we browse content on our smartphones. There’s also a humorous scene where Pinocchio awkwardly denies creating a ‘thirst trap’ for Shrek. It appears that the original team behind Shrek has retained their quirky wit from two decades ago, promising more of the same charm in Shrek 5. This gives us hope that the humor will be just as endearing in the upcoming Donkey film by Murphy too.

Shrek 5 hits theaters December 23, 2026.

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2025-07-28 04:10