Overview
- Universal Pictures and DreamWorks announced Donkey on Thursday, June 25, 2026, posting the news on the studio’s official Instagram account.
- Eddie Murphy is confirmed to reprise his role as Donkey and the film is billed as an origin story that will explain how a donkey became the character audiences met in Shrek.
- Charlie Bean will direct, Matt Flynn serves as co-director, and Rebecca Huntley is the producer, credits the studio and trade reporting have confirmed.
- Donkey is scheduled to open in theaters on June 30, 2028, exactly one year after Shrek 5’s planned June 30, 2027 release, creating back-to-back summer tentpoles for the franchise.
- The move follows the commercial model used for Puss in Boots spin-offs and aims to build on Shrek’s multi-billion-dollar box-office legacy by turning a popular supporting character into a standalone franchise entry.