Another 3D animation that’s loved all around the world is about to hit the five-film mark. After we got hit with news that Toy Story would return to cinemas with a fifth installment already in early development, Illumination Studios CEO, Chris Meledandri, sat down with Variety to reveal that Shrek 5 is in the works – and the whole main cast has been tapped to return.

The information was revealed while Meledandri was doing a press tour for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which premieres this Friday. The studio founder was going through all the sequels that people can expect from the studio’s many beloved animations, including Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets. Even though Shrek hails from a different house (DreamWorks), Meledandri is also a creative partner in the Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg animation studio.

Meleandri explained how the idea of Shrek 5 came about:

“It’s not that dissimilar to the process that we went through with ‘Mario,’ where you look at what the core elements are that audiences have loved, and you do your very best to honor those core elements. And then you’re hard at work to build story elements and new characters that take you to brand new places. The original cast is a huge part of that. […] We anticipate the cast coming back. Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return.”

The Whole Gang Is Coming Back For Shrek 5

Having the original Shrek cast return is certainly an element that would make audiences flock to cinemas in order to check out what’s been going on with the ogre family. The movie would also represent a rare outing for Cameron Diaz, who’s been virtually retired since 2014. Eddie Murphy has already stated that he’d come back to voice Donkey in Shrek “in two seconds,” and it seems that the studio has heard him loud and clear. Meledandri also teased the possibility of a Donkey spin-off movie, and stated that the character could “without question” lead a movie on its own.

This wouldn’t be the first time that the Shrek franchise spawns a spin-off, though. Puss in Boots, with Antonio Banderas voicing the title character first came out in 2011 and had a pretty decent box office performance, with over $500 million raked in across the world. The latest sequel, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, came out in 2022 and was widely praised for its animation style and overall quality. The Oscar-nominated movie sits at a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Details are currently sparse regarding Shrek 5 but check back in with Collider to stay updated on the sequel.

via Collider