Fans have been buzzing with their reactions to the news about the release date of Shrek 5 being delayed.
The much-awaited fifth installment was originally set to premiere in December 2026, but this has now been rescheduled to June 2027.
Returning to their iconic roles are Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz. Additionally, Zendaya joins the cast as Shrek and Fiona’s daughter, Felicia, increasing the excitement among fans.
According to Variety, Shrek 5’s new release date will precede Sony’s Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse by a week. Its previous December release would have coincided with the premieres of Avengers: Doomsday and Ice Age 6.
DreamWorks, the studio responsible for the beloved franchise, has yet to disclose the reason behind the half-year postponement, but fans have developed their own theories.
After a teaser was revealed showing the updated appearances of Shrek 5’s characters, including a teenage Felicia, fans believe they have figured out the storyline.
Many speculate that it will focus on a ‘father-daughter coming of age’ theme, exploring Shrek’s relationship with his daughter as she grows up.
When someone used Twitter’s AI tool, Grok, to predict the plot, the bot responded: “The public guessed a predictable plot for Shrek 5: Shrek as an overprotective dad to teenage daughter Felicia, who rebels and seeks independence from the swamp. Conflicts arise, Shrek gets in trouble, she saves him, leading to lessons in acceptance—with Donkey jokes, pop songs, and pop culture nods.”
Now that fans think they have unraveled the plot, they suspect DreamWorks might postpone the release to revise the storyline.
One fan commented on the delay, saying: “This happened because everyone guessed the plot so now they have to do the film from scratch, LMAO.”
Another added, “They saw how we guessed the script.”
A third noted, “Had to rewrite because everyone figured out the plot.”
Some fans also believe DreamWorks might be altering the animation style after the initial character designs received criticism.
One person claimed, “They definitely are changing the animation style after the backlash.”
Another echoed, “They def reanimating because we like the old art style better.”
“Oh, they’re 100% reanimating,” agreed another.
UNILAD has reached out to DreamWorks for comment on the situation.