Film news: ‘Shrek 5’ teaser drops 16 years since last instalment of franchise

The long-awaited fifth film in the Shrek movie franchise has been teased through a trailer that was released on June 16.

The last film of the Shrek franchise, ‘Shrek Forever After’, was released 16 years ago, the longest hiatus between instalments of the franchise.

Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy reprise their roles as Shrek, Fiona and Donkey respectively. 

New additions include Zendaya, Skyler Gisondo and Marcello Hernández who all voice Shrek and Fiona’s children.

The new film centres around Donkey’s outlandish plan to embark on “another whirlwind big-city adventure” with Shrek’s family.

However, as the cast of animated characters enter the sketchy and unwelcoming town called ‘Further, Further Away’, they are thrown behind the bars of a jail cell. 

Remarkably, Zendaya’s character Felicia, the only daughter of Shrek and Fiona, does not appear in the teaser.

The online magazine Inverse speculates that a quest for Felicia might be pertinent to the plot, as well as escaping the jail cell the characters find themselves in. 

The movie is set to be globally released in theatres on June 30, 2027. 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Filipino-Kiwi actor Laurence Mossman joins Manila staging of ‘The Notebook The Musical’

Fans’ reactions

Although many fans have been anxiously waiting for an announcement of a fifth film, the teaser trailer sparked mixed reactions overall.

Some fans were excited by the teaser and relieved that the fourth Shrek film was indeed not the last, as its producers once said.

However, other fans were disappointed by the quality of animation that the teaser presented. 

An opinion piece by New Idea magazine states that the beloved characters Shrek and Donkey look markedly different from how fans remember them.

The modernised animation style clashes with the 2000s aesthetic the franchise once mastered. 

With electrified reactions that are tinged with apprehension, it’s safe to say that all fans are patiently waiting for what the film’s upcoming official trailer might reveal.

READ NEXT: Film news: What we know about ‘Obsession’ director Curry Barker’s next film