Shrek 5: Backlash For a Film That Hasn’t Been Released
On Jul. 12, 2024, Universal Pictures posted a teaser on their social platforms of an unexpected movie and release date: “Shrek 5.” The 48-second clip on YouTube has obtained over 1.2 million views, with mixed comments on what people's views on this release are. “They’re gonna kill this series too. Look at what they’ve done to megamind. THIS NEEDS TO BE STOPPED,” said fbiduty9919. This was one of many similar comments and concerns by fbiduty9919 and other users alike.
On Feb. 27, Universal Pictures released another clip, this time showing off the cast of the upcoming film, which has skyrocketed to over 12 million views and only 211,000 likes. Actors such as Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Zendaya were seen in the 27 second clip, with an entirely different animation style and release date, pushed back by over five months to Christmas 2026.
Less than a few hours later, hundreds of videos had been posted, creating heat around a children's franchise, one people have grown up with and don’t want to see ruined.
A video posted by madisonfin_ on Tiktok, which has gained over 28.5 million views, is one of many ideas about the plot of ‘Shrek 5.’ Using the ideals of many basic childrens movies nowadays, they posted on Mar. 1, with the caption, “LET ME GUESS.. She is a rebellious girl, who wants to explore the world, but Shrek being the overprotective dad doesn't let her go. In the end, he will become a better father,” in front of a screenshot of the cast teaser. The post got six million likes, 380.2 thousand favorites, and 52.7 thousand comments agreeing with madisonfin_.
Another video by ilovayoma.com, posted on Feb. 27, with the caption “I pray this gets bullied enough to the point of remaking cause this looks so ai.” Many other users agreed, with a comment chain started by uhh_jack.ig, saying “#notmyshrek.” This comment got over 2.6 thousand likes, with other users agreeing and replying with the same tag.
This movie release is not as anticipated as Universal Pictures would have hoped with the cast release. While some social media users agree it's okay, the majority believe the animation style should be booted and redone, replaced with the same animation as the past four.
