Shrek 5 trailer takes aim at Disney with 13-year-old joke

Image: DreamWorks/Universal Pictures

Regardless of your stance on sequels, it is impossible not to feel a surge of nostalgia the moment the opening chords of Smash Mouth’s “All Star” echo on screen. After years of relentless speculation, the existence of Shrek 5 was finally confirmed in 2024. Now, two years later, an official teaser has arrived, unveiling a 2027 release window and making it crystal clear that the legendary feud between DreamWorks and Disney is far from over.

<p>What began in 2001 as a project infamously dubbed a <a href="https://nypost.com/2010/05/16/ugly-green-montrous/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">disciplinary assignment</a> for weary animators soon blossomed into a global cultural phenomenon. A quarter-century later, the swamp’s most iconic duo is back for another caper that promises to channel the same chaotic energy that defined the original quadrilogy.</p>

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<p>As the audience has grown, so have our protagonists. The teaser highlights a more mature domestic life for the ogre, with the core ensemble returning to their iconic roles. Joining Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey are their children—Felicia (voiced by Zendaya), Fergus (Marcello Hernandez), and Farkle (Skyler Gisondo)—marking a significant expansion of the family dynamic.</p>

<p>Plot specifics remain under wraps, though the trailer suggests the film will lean heavily into the series' greatest hits. We get glimpses of a frantic prison break, the return of the beloved Gingerbread Man (Conrad Vernon), and a city-leveling creature that feels like a deliberate nod to the high-stakes action of <em>Shrek 2</em>.</p>

<p>True to form, the studio couldn't resist taking a jab at its competition. During a sequence in a grimy alleyway, Shrek and Fiona stumble upon a disheveled, melting snowman who pleads, "Wanna date a snowman?" It is a petty, hilarious, and quintessentially DreamWorks moment that proves the studio hasn't lost its satirical edge.</p>

<p>Whether this new installment will successfully balance the irreverent humor that built the franchise with a modern cinematic narrative is the million-dollar question, but we’ll find out when <em>Shrek 5</em> hits theaters in the summer of 2027.</p>

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<p><em>Shrek 5</em> is currently slated for a summer 2027 theatrical release.</p>

Source: Polygon