Why I’m Worried About Shrek 5

If there is any film that has maintained a grip on my generation in more ways than one, it is Shrek. Its release changed the game regarding what animated films were made in America that shifted focus on CGI, celebrities, and irreverent humor. It was practically everywhere as a marketing juggernaut throughout the 2000s. After it fell out of relevance, it became very popular to make jokes about it on the internet. And now, the film and series as a whole are being re-evaluated with more serious positive assessments being given. Suffice to say, this series has had a lot around it over the last 23 years. With this in mind, conversations about a 5^th Shrek film have been consistent. The combination of its resurged popularity with the generation that grew up with it as well as the success of the spinoff Puss in Boots: The Last Wish were likely big factors into the recent confirmation that a 5^th film will be coming in 2026. However, while many are excited, I have some hesitations about the prospect of another Shrek film.

Firstly, there’s an argument to be made that Shrek as a whole was mostly misunderstood culturally even when it was relevant. Most people framed it as only satirical and crude comedy and while these are elements of the film, they aren’t the defining factors as to why the original Shrek worked so well. The subversive elements weren’t there for the sake of it, but to be a contrast to the style of Disney films that had dominated the landscape in the decade prior. Not to mention that the series is emotionally anchored by how it looks past the assumed layers of these characters and their traits to genuinely focus on their internal perceptions and struggles. Shrek is a film about a character from a stereotypically unloved archetype finding acceptance with himself and love from another for who he is. Franky, just calling Shrek only a comedy series does a disservice to the great thematic work within the first two films and the fourth one.

Unfortunately, because of the wave of reactions focusing on the subversive elements, not only did other studios only focus on that to copy the assumed formula of success from Shrek, but the third film in the series ignored the thematic core of the previous ones in favor of poorly executed comedy. It showed that even DreamWorks didn’t understand what made Shrek work in the first place. While Shrek the Third came out a long time ago, another recent DreamWorks sequel indicates that the studio still has issues with taking their franchises seriously. Kung Fu Panda 4 was released this year and while it was successful, many fans felt it was a hollow imitation of the original trilogy that lacked the nuance and deeper emotions that made the series beloved and surprisingly great in the first place. It was later revealed that the studio higher-ups downplayed the more dramatic elements of the series when developing the fourth film which indicates that they only saw the series as a comedic one. With this in mind, what’s to say that the studio will do the same with Shrek 5? It seems that the more dramatic side of Shrek has only gotten appreciation recently, so it could be likely that DreamWorks would only focus on appealing to those who see Shrek from a more long-term perspective dominant since the 2000s. Rather than continuing the story from an angle that balances comedy and story and takes Shrek somewhat seriously in terms of the themes, the 5th installment may just continue what the 3^rd did and just play it for jokes. If DreamWorks was willing to downplay these elements for a series like Kung Fu Panda where it was more apparent and beloved, then I doubt they would do the same here.

The other concern, however, is that the impetus for this project is likely not from someone finding something new to say about these characters and their world, but because nostalgia and reviving old franchises is the norm for studios right now. I have discussed before about how Hollywood only focuses on franchises and bringing them back for the sake of it and I won’t lie in admitting that I feel the same about Shrek 5. The Fourth Shrek film, Shrek Forever After, was a good conclusion for the series since it focused on the core relationship between Shrek and Fiona and had Shrek re-evaluate how he saw his life through an It’s a Wonderful Life style story. It was surprisingly far more dramatic in its tone and felt like it wanted to end the series on a more emotional note. While it’s not as good as the first two, it’s a solid film and conclusion for the character. As a result, I am unsure of what direction a fifth film would take. Would you take the logical approach of Shrek growing older and having his kids reach adulthood or take a different approach with something subversive? We know nothing about what the 5^th film will be about, but I am wary about its prospects. Shrek the Third showed how the series could flounder when not given a proper direction or focus on its story. It feels that right now, most animated franchises just seem to be putting out new installments without really caring about whether they are meaningful additions. Alongside Kung Fu Panda 4, Toy Story 5 is a prime example of this with it continuing a series that had a beloved ending and a solid epilogue to talk about iPad kids. Rather than giving meaningful or interesting continuations, we get them for the sake of recognizability.

I know a lot of this article is mostly speculation and we will probably have to wait a bit until more information comes out about this film, but I guess I wanted to give my two cents since I have grown very attached to this series as of late. Even though I grew up in its heyday, I was never a huge Shrek fan and even dismissed it as just crude comedy for some time. However, I’ve grown to appreciate the layers in its story and characters as well as the natural comedy from both the visual humor and dialogue. All of this is to say that if you want to bring Shrek back, you need to put your best foot forward and not just put something out without meaning. It feels like so many franchises have done the latter as of late and I just feel that new films in long-running series could do more than just the basics or nostalgia pandering. We will see what this new film will entail, but I hope there’s more to it than just bringing Shrek out of retirement to replay the old highlights.