Everyone’s favorite ogre and his loveable donkey is back but oh boy have the years been rough on them. DreamWorks has officially dropped the first teaser for Shrek 5, confirming a Christmas 2026 release date.
But instead of the triumphant fanfare you’d expect for the return of everyone’s favorite ogre, the internet is ablaze with criticism over the film’s “weird” character redesigns and an over-reliance on cringe meme humor.
The teaser, which premiered on social media, features Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey interacting with a magic mirror in a TikTok-inspired sequence. While the original cast of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy is back, fans were quick to point out that the updated animation style feels more like a “budget mobile game” than the beloved fairy tale world they grew up with.
Watch at your own risk:
DreamWorks’ decision to modernize the animation has not gone down well. The new designs lean heavily into the studio’s current CGI aesthetic, which some fans feel strips away the charm of the original films.
One particularly vocal fan on Twitter wrote, “Shrek looks like he’s been through a mid-life crisis. What did they do to him?” Another compared the redesigns to the infamous Sonic the Hedgehog movie fiasco.
Adding fuel to the fire, the teaser’s humor—centered around TikTok trends and meme culture—has been labeled “cringey” by many. “Shrek doesn’t need to be a walking meme,” one fan lamented. “He’s already iconic. Stop trying so hard.”
DreamWorks, perhaps anticipating the backlash, has disabled comments on the teaser’s YouTube upload. But that hasn’t stopped the internet from voicing its collective disappointment across other platforms.
One of the few bright spots in the teaser is the confirmation that Zendaya has joined the cast. While her role remains a mystery, fans are speculating that she could be voicing a new princess or a modern twist on a classic fairy tale character.
Notably absent from the teaser, however, is Antonio Banderas’ Puss in Boots, despite the character’s recent resurgence in popularity following the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Shrek 5 marks the franchise’s return after a 15-year hiatus, with the last installment, Shrek Forever After, released in 2010. While fans have been clamoring for a new chapter in the ogre’s story, the teaser has left many questioning whether the wait was worth it.
