Earlier this week, Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation announced that their highly anticipated "Shrek 5" has been delayed yet again, this time to the summer of 2027. This delay comes months after the first look teaser, in which we were reunited with Shrek (Mike Myers), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Fiona (Cameron Diaz), Magic Mirror (Chris Miller), and Pinocchio (Cody Cameron) for the first time in roughly 15 years. Most notably, we were introduced to Shrek and Fiona's daughter, Felicia (Zendaya),
who we last saw as an infant and is now a teenager. As of this writing, the whereabouts of Felicia's triplet brothers, Farkle and Fergus (as well as who will end up voicing them), are hidden far, far away.
Critics and audiences alike were delighted and surprised by 2022's "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." The film, which hit theaters 11 years after its predecessor, was a refreshing return to DreamWorks Animation's subversive fairy tale world, with its energetic animation bringing its beloved characters to new life. That film immediately enticed fans hungry for more adventures with not just Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), but especially his old friends, Shrek and Donkey. However, fans were not as receptive to the first look teaser as DreamWorks Animation had hoped. The cast announcement teaser currently has more dislikes than likes on YouTube (via Jabrek), with an estimated 74% disapproval. Now that "Shrek 5" has been delayed for a second time, perhaps this allows DreamWorks Animation to fix one major issue.
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DreamWorks Animation Should Restore And Refine The Original Character Designs
While some were excited to be reunited with Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, many others were not pleased with DreamWorks Animation's new designs for its most famous trio, with some criticisms expressing that the characters feel cleaner and polished, similar to that of Walt Disney Animation Studios' modern character designs rather than the earnest, rough-around-the-edges vibe that the original "Shrek" movies evoked. This is ironic due to the fact that much of the spirit of "Shrek" is in how it sends up the tropes of Disney's fairy tale films, so to redesign the characters in a way that looks similar to Disney's recent output is an odd choice.
Naturally, it is the expectation that designs for beloved characters that have not been seen in over a decade will be updated to reflect the advancements of modern technology -- look no further than what Pixar has done with its sequels to "Toy Story" and "The Incredibles" to get a taste of how it brings back its beloved characters to reflect today's standards while still staying true to their original essence. To be fair, "Shrek 5" has a legitimate reason for updating the designs, given that, unlike much of Pixar's sequels, this upcoming film will have a time jump that closely reflects the gap since "Shrek Forever After," which will be a whopping 17 years, whereas "Incredibles 2" picks up immediately where its predecessor left of, despite hitting theaters 14 years later. Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona are now middle-aged parents, likely dealing with the typical highs and lows of raising teenagers. Time and stress will naturally age everyone, so giving our beloved characters a different look makes sense. However, unless this new film plans to follow the bold animation style that "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" showcased, such updated designs should be compatible and cohesive with what the original films have established.
Ideally, Shrek 5 Would Pull A Sonic The Hedgehog
If DreamWorks Animation were to update the current character designs for "Shrek 5," it would be similar to what happened with the first "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie. That film's original release date was November 8, 2019, but after the first trailer dropped in April 2019, the design of the titular character was subject to intense backlash. The negative reaction was so massive that Paramount Pictures delayed the film to February 14, 2020, to allow the animators to redesign the character to reflect closer to his likeness as seen in the video games. The "Ugly Sonic" design was so infamous, it was featured in the 2022 film "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers" as its own character.
While the "Shrek 5" character designs may not be subject to the same level of viral scrutiny as the initial "Sonic the Hedgehog" design, this second delay can allow the animators to bring back some much-needed goodwill to the film and perhaps rectify the negative initial reactions to the first look. While restoring and modifying the designs to cohesively reflect the original characters is a good call, here's hoping that the script for this long-awaited sequel is worthwhile and honors the subversive legacy that the Academy Award-winning original film established.
"Shrek 5" will now hit theaters on June 30, 2027.
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