Shrek 5 Teaser Trailer Brings In Zendaya, But Not As Meechee
This is not a drill! It's been a long, long time since audiences have taken a trip to Far, Far Away but "Shrek 5" is going to bring us back there next year. As evidence of that, DreamWorks has released the first, brief teaser for the long-awaited sequel — one that introduces us to the cast. Most of them are familiar faces (or voices, rather) but there is one new, very important addition: Welcome to the family, Zendaya.
While the above teaser doesn't make it explicitly clear who the star of "Dune" and "Challengers" is playing in the film, the folks at The Hollywood Reporter have confirmed that she is voicing the daughter of Shrek and Fiona. The teaser also confirms that Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Fiona), and Eddie Murphy (Donkey) are also reprising their famous roles. Diaz's inclusion is not insignificant, seeing as she walked away from Hollywood for years before returning in Netflix's "Back in Action" earlier this year.
As for Zendaya, getting her on board adds some serious star power to "Shrek 5." The actor is arguably best known for her voice work as the character Meechee in the modern classic that is "Smallfoot." Or maybe it just feels like a modern classic thanks to that hopelessly catchy viral video that made the rounds several years ago. In all seriousness, though, Zendaya is an absolute superstar whose credits also include MJ in the Tom Holland-led "Spider-Man" film trilogy, "The Greatest Showman," and HBO's "Euphoria."
Shrek 5 has smash hit written all over it
Universal and DreamWorks first confirmed "Shrek 5" last year. Walt Dohrn, who worked on all three of the previous "Shrek" sequels in some capacity, is sitting in the director's chair on this one alongside Conrad Vernon (aka the voice of the Gingerbread Man), with Brad Ableson ("Minions: The Rise of Gru") on board as co-director. Plot details remain under wraps for the time being, but it's clear that there will be a bit of a time jump. That makes sense, given that the last sequel, "Shrek Forever After," came out back in 2010.
DreamWorks, for its part, has had success in recent years revisiting popular franchises, including "Kung Fu Panda 4" and, more importantly, 2023's "Shrek" spin-off "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." Given how well that film did both critically and financially, it seems fair to assume the return of DreamWorks' flagship franchise will be an even bigger event. After all, this is a $4 billion property we're talking about. Plus, we've had a decade and a half worth of nostalgia built up. Audiences will be downright ready for this when it arrives to help close out 2026.
Indeed, generational nostalgia has propelled some of the biggest hits in recent history, chief among them "Jurassic World" and "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens." Family films have also proven to be particularly leggy in December of late. With the added star power like Zendaya, this one really has mega-blockbuster written all over it.
"Shrek 5" opens in theaters on December 23, 2026.