Another new Shrek spin-off movie is seemingly in development at Dreamworks. The Universal-owned Dreamworks has produced some of the most successful animated movie franchises of all time, including Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, and Shrek. The studio is gearing up for a return to the land of Far Far Away in Summer 2027 with Shrek 5, but Dreamworks is reportedly cooking up more spin-offs to accompany it.
According to a post on Patreon from scooper Daniel Richtman, Dreamworks is developing a new Puss in Boots, acting as a sequel to 2022's The Last Wish. The trilogy-capper will be the ninth entry in the theatrical Shrek franchise, including the five mainline flicks and four spin-off blockbusters.
The Shrek franchise began with the 2001 animated movie that introduced Mike Myers as the titular swamp-living ogre in a unique fairytale-inspired fantasy world, alongside Cameron Diaz's Fiona and Eddie Murphy's Donkey.
In a rare case of original-to-sequel improvement, Shrek 2 is often regarded as the best in the franchise and was a pivotal moment in the saga's history, introducing Puss in Boots, who became the lead of his own spin-off franchise.
Sadly, Shrek the Third was generally considered to be a massive step down from its predecessors, often being criticized for its weak, overstuffed plot. The 2007 threequel saw Shrek become the reluctant ruler of Far Far Away before going on an adventure to find the only other heir to relinquish his royal duties.
Coming off the dissapointment of the previous movie, Shrek Forever After was intended to close out the franchise in 2010. The conclusion saw Shrek realize the true value of his life and family after a mid-life crisis and treacherous deal with Rumpelstiltskin, wrapping up his four-movie tale with a happy ending.
17 years later, Dreamworks is reviving the Shrek franchise with a new sequel next year. Shrek 5 will bring back nine iconic characters on June 30, 2027, while introducing Zendaya, Skyler Gisondo, and Marcello Hernández as the new voices of the legendary ogre's children, Felicia, Fergus, and Farkle.
The franchise got its first true spin-off movie in 2011 with Puss in Boots, which thrust Antonio Banderas' swashbuckling ginger cat in a theatrical prequel to his introduction in Shrek 2 that unravelled his feline origin story.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish became a sleeper hit in 2022 thanks to strong word-of-mouth, receiving an impressive 95% Rotten Tomatoes score and grossing over $480 million worldwide. The movie ended with Puss in Boots sailing to the land of Far Far Away to "see some old friends," possibly setting up his return in Shrek 5.
Eddie Murphy confirmed to ScreenRant last year that he was set to begin recording in September 2025 on a Donkey-centric spin-off movie. He described the flick as a "funny story" about Donkey and his wife, Dragon, confirming it would be released in roughly "three years," placing its expected release in 2028.
Shrek 5 was previously expected to be among the biggest animated movies releasing in 2026, but will now land in June 2027, sharing a release year with The Simpsons Movie 2, Frozen 3, and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Dreamworks Is Going Big on Shrek All Over Again
Dreamworks is tripling down on the Shrek franchise with next year's much-anticipated fifth installment, a sequel to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and the upcoming Donkey spin-off. The animated studio may be hoping that Donkey could be the next to carry his own solo franchise as Puss in Boots wraps up a trilogy.
Of course, that decision may be a mistake if Shrek 5 doesn't deliver on its massive box office expectations. The fantasy legacy sequel had its trailer dislike-bombed for a very silly reason, but it would be surprising if that hampered its box office at all, given that the Shrek franchise has held its popularity for all these years.
The latest report that Puss in Boots 3 is in the works is, of course, rather vague, and there's no telling how far along development may be. Dreamworks will be busy with Shrek 5 and the untitled Donkey movie for some time, possibly pushing back its potential release date by several years until at least 2029.
