Eddie Murphy is officially bringing Donkey back to the big screen, and this time, Shrek’s loyal sidekick is getting his own movie. The actor confirmed that DreamWorks will release the Donkey spinoff film in 2028.
Murphy is currently recording voiceover work for Shrek 5, the fifth installment of the beloved animated franchise, which is slated for release on December 18, 2026. He revealed that production on the Donkey-centered spinoff will begin in September 2025.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Murphy shared, “They’re still doing voiceover stuff. We’re still in the booth, and literally, we’re still doing Shrek. We start in September on Donkey. We’re doing a Donkey one, and that’ll be three years from now, but we’re about two years into Shrek 5 right now.”
Murphy confirmed that Donkey will be a full-length film, not a series-similar to Puss in Boots, another breakout Shrek character who got his successful spin-off. “Donkey’s going to have his own movie, his own little story with his dragon wife and their kids who are half-dragon and half-donkey,” Murphy explained.
Zendaya Joins the Shrek Universe
The upcoming Shrek 5 also introduces a new character to the franchise – Shrek and Fiona’s daughter, Felicia. Zendaya will voice the character, with her casting confirmed in the film’s first trailer released earlier this year.
Zendaya joins original cast members Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz, who return to voice Shrek and Fiona. The Shrek franchise began in 2001 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon, with sequels released in 2004 (Shrek 2), 2007 (Shrek the Third), and 2010 (Shrek Forever After).
Despite the star-studded voice cast, Murphy revealed that he doesn’t see his co-stars-Mike Myers or Cameron Diaz-during production. “At the end of the movie, or when it comes out, we see each other at the premiere, but we don’t see each other the whole movie,” he said. “It’s all just you by yourself and a microphone.”
With both Shrek 5 and Donkey in the works, fans of the franchise can look forward to a whole new era of swamp-side chaos – and plenty of Eddie Murphy’s signature humor.
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