Universal Sets New Dates for ‘Shrek 5’ & ‘Minions 3,’ Conrad Vernon Boards the Shrekquel

Universal Pictures has announced updates to its animated features slate, as well as a key creative appointment to the next chapter of fan-favorite franchise Shrek.

DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 5 has been pushed back from July 1, 2026 to Wednesday, December 23, 2026 for wide release.

Meanwhile, Illumination’s Minions 3 has moved up from June 30, 2027 to Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

Universal also revealed that an Untitled Illumination Event Film will move from March 19, 2027 to Wednesday, June 30, 2027.

For audiences’ return to the land of Far, Far Away, longtime DreamWorks Animation collaborator and animation veteran Conrad Vernon has returned to the studio to helm Shrek 5 alongside Walt Dohrn.   Together, they will bring to the big screen the next installment of everyone’s favorite ogre in time for his 25th Anniversary.

Dohrn most recently directed the latest installments of the Trolls franchise, Trolls Band Together and Trolls World Tour, and served as co-director on Trolls. He also served as head of story on Shrek Forever After and voiced the co-starring role of Rumpelstiltskin.

Vernon was a member of the directing team on the Academy Award-nominated film Shrek 2. He most recently directed the MGM animated features The Addams Family 2 and The Addams Family. Vernon’s additional directing credits for DreamWorks Animation include Monsters vs. Aliens and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.  He has also provided the voice of Shrek fan-favorite Gingerbread Man, a.k.a. “Gingy,” across all titles in the Shrek Universe.

Shrek 5 will be produced by returning producer Gina Shay (Trolls franchise, Shrek Forever After) and by Illumination CEO and Academy Award nominee Chris Meledandri (Despicable Me and Minions franchise, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Sing and Secret Life of Pets films). The film will be co-directed by Brad Ableson (Minions: The Rise of Gru, The Simpsons).

Comedy legends Mike Myers (Austin Powers films, Bohemian Rhapsody), Oscar nominee Eddie Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop franchise, Dreamgirls) and Cameron Diaz (Charlie’s Angels franchise, Bad Teacher) return to their signature roles as Shrek, Donkey and Fiona.

Based on the book by William Steig, the franchise launched in 2001 with Shrek, the winner of the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The four Shrek films have earned more than $2.9 billion worldwide, spawning a global live-touring show, an award-winning Broadway musical that earned eight Tony nominations and 12 Drama Desk nominations, plus an immersive, top-tourist destination in London and a popular events and attractions across Universal Studios Parks worldwide.

Fresh off the worldwide blockbuster success of Despicable Me 4, Illumination expands its joyful animated universe with a sensational new chapter in the biggest global animated franchise in history: Minions 3.

Written by Brian Lynch (Minions, The Secret Life of Pets films), Minions 3 will be directed by Academy Award nominee Pierre Coffin, a director of the first three Despicable Me films and the first Minions film. Coffin has also provided the voice for the Minions since their film debut in 2010. The film will be produced by Illumination’s founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Bill Ryan (executive producer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie).

More than 10 years after their creation, the popular Minions characters have helped propel Illumination’s Despicable Me and Minions franchise to a box office milestone of $5 billion, as the first animation film series to do so.

The franchise includes Minions, one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, as well as the Academy Award-nominated Despicable Me 2 and Despicable Me 3, which each made more than $1 billion at the global box office. In 2022, Minions: The Rise of Gru shattered box office records with the highest grossing July 4 opening weekend in U.S. history and became the #1 film internationally and worldwide.

2024’s Despicable Me 4 confirmed that the Minions continue to rule the July 4 holiday weekend, with the film opening to $230 million worldwide.