Illumination teased the return of the original cast for Shrek 5

DreamWorks Animations recently found success with its second Puss in Boots movie, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which is an Academy Award nominee. With the hit that was the Shrek spinoff, the studio is looking to restart the main franchise.

In a recent interview with Variety for The Super Mario Bros Movie, Meledandri revealed that DreamWorks Animations wants to reboot the Shrek franchise. According to the director, the studio is bringing back the original voice cast, which includes Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz back for Shrek 5. Negotiations with the actors are currently underway.

"It's not that dissimilar to the process that we went through with Mario, where you look at what the core elements are that audiences have loved, and you do your very best to honor those core elements," Meledandri explains. "And then you're hard at work to build story elements and new characters that take you to brand new places. The original cast is a huge part of that."

Meledandri adds, "We anticipate the cast coming back. Talks are starting now, and every indication that we've gotten is there's tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return."

Meledandri was also asked during the interview about the possibility of a Donkey spin-off after the success of Puss in Boots 2. The director answered, "Without question."

Eddie Murphy, who voices Donkey in the Shrek movies, recently expressed interest in returning to the franchise and working on a spinoff.

"If [DreamWorks] ever came with another 'Shrek,' I'd do it in two seconds," Murphy stated in January. "I love Donkey. They did 'Puss in Boots' movies. I was like, 'They should have done a Donkey movie.'"

The comedian adds, "Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain't funny as the Donkey."

Meledandri was thrilled at Murphy's comments. "It's evidence of his strong enthusiasm for a role that he so brilliantly inhabited and really created alongside the artists at DreamWorks. I found that comment to be very exciting," he said of Murphy.

Illumination, on the other hand, is reportedly working on sequels for Secret Life of Pets and Sing. Meledandri also teased that the studio is working on a new movie called Migration. The upcoming animated film follows a family of ducks that find themselves at odds. The father wants to remain in the safety of their pond while the mother wants to explore the world.

"The film is very beautiful and has a painterly quality that is quite different from anything we've done at Illumination," Meledandri shared. "The story is told with humor and heart. It's a remarkably human story with characters who are very relatable and end up wrestling with issues that we all understand, even though they are ducks." { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Shrek 5 planned?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, DreamWorks Animations is planning a fifth Shrek film, with Illumination CEO and Despicable Me director Chris Meledandri serving as a creative advisor." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will the original voice cast return for Shrek 5?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "DreamWorks Animations is currently negotiating with the original voice cast, including Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz, for their return in Shrek 5." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is there a possibility of a Donkey (from Shrek) spin-off?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, after the success of Puss in Boots 2, a Donkey spin-off is being considered, and Eddie Murphy, who voices Donkey, has expressed interest in returning for the project." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What animated projects is Illumination working on?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Illumination is reportedly working on sequels for Secret Life of Pets and Sing, as well as a new movie called Migration, which follows a family of ducks with conflicting desires." } } ] }