Universal has announced that DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek 5” will be moving from July 1, 2026, to Dec. 23, 2026. In its place, Universal will open Illumination’s “Minions 3,” which was previously supposed to come out a year later (June 30, 2027). That’s the kind of chaotic scheduling a minion would really embrace.

As reported by Variety, Minions 3 will therefore now arrive on July 1, 2026, keeping up the tradition of Despicable Me films enjoying the Independence Day box office. Shrek 5, meanwhile, will target the 2026 holiday period for its first mainline release in 16 years.

There's some bad news for Shrek fans today as the long-awaited fifth movie has just been delayed. However, fans of the Despicable Me franchise will be pleased to learn about Minion 3's new release date.

At the same time, the studio said Friday it is moving up Illumination’s Minions 3 from June 30, 2027 to Shrek 5 ‘s previous July 2026 date. That’s because the Minions and Gru have ruled the Independence Day frame for quite some time, most recently with Despicable Me 4 minting a $230M global opening last summer.

Shrek 5 will be released in cinemas December 23, 2026.

Shrek 5's release date has been pushed back to December 2026. The DreamWorks Animation movie was originally due for release on July 1, 2026 but has now been postponed until December 23, 2026. Mike Myers,

Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz are returning for the 'Shrek' sequel, which is timed to the franchise's 25th anniversary.