In a recent interview with Collider, Eddie Murphy disclosed that he has already started recording vocals for the upcoming Shrek 5 and is also set to star in a standalone film centered around his character, Donkey.
Back in April 2023, Variety shared the news that Universal and DreamWorks Animation were considering a fifth installment of the Shrek franchise featuring the original cast (including Eddie Murphy as Donkey, Mike Myers as Shrek, and Cameron Diaz as Fiona)
The news went on to add that the outfit had also planned a standalone movie focusing on Murphy’s character, Donkey. It appears that these projects are now officially in the works, as confirmed by Murphy himself.
“We started doing [‘Shrek 5’] months ago. I did this. I recorded the first act, and we’ll be doing it this year, we’ll finish it up. Shrek is coming out and Donkey’s gonna have his own movie. We’re gonna do Donkey as well. So we’re gonna do a Shrek, and we’re doing a Donkey [movie],” Murphy told Collider.
Between 2001 and 2010, the Shrek franchise released four feature films.
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The first installment of catapulted DreamWorks Animation into success, earning a worldwide gross of $487 million and claiming the title of the first animated feature to win an Oscar.
Its sequel, Shrek 2, went on to amass an impressive $928 million at the box office. Both films even vied for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Although Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After did not receive as much critical acclaim as their predecessors, they still managed to rake in substantial earnings, with worldwide grosses of $813 million and $752 million, respectively.
In 2023, Eddie Murphy expressed to Entertainment Tonight his eagerness to jump back into the role of Donkey for a potential fifth installment of the Shrek series, stating that he would gladly accept the opportunity “in two seconds” if ever approached for the project.