Eddie Murphy Confirms Shrek 5 Is in the Works — and Donkey's Spin-Off Is Finally Happening
39It’s almost hard to believe, but it’s been a quarter of a century since Shrek burst onto the scene and changed the animated film game forever. With a meme-worthy legacy, billions in box office, and one of the most quotable characters of all time in Donkey, fans have been clamoring for a return to Far Far Away. The good news? Eddie Murphy is ready to bring the donkey magic back — and then some.
Speaking to Collider’s Michael Zimmermann while promoting his new film The Pickup, Murphy gave an enthusiastic update on both Shrek 5 and a brand-new Donkey solo movie: "We're still making the movie. We're about two years into it, and you can't tell what the movie is, with any of those Shrek movies, you don't know what it is, because you don't get a script." He went on to say:
"You get, like, when you go to do a session, you get like, 'Okay, here are the scenes that we're gonna do,' and maybe sometimes they'll draw some pictures so you could see a little storyboard. But then you just go in and do it, and you don't know what it's gonna be like. Then the next session, you just do these, these voice-overs [and] so you don't know what it's going to be till you see the whole movie."
"So I've done a lot of really funny stuff on this new Shrek one, so I don't know how they're going to cut it together, but the Donkey character, I just fall in. And it's second nature, and it's really funny stuff just comes out of it, because I do a lot of improvising with that too, and it's just, I'm a jackass, and I'm high energy. Okay, I got that. We just go and come up with all kinds of shit."
But the most exciting update, at least for fans of the eternally optimistic mule, came when Murphy confirmed that production (at least from his part) would begin on Donkey's very own spin-off movie in just over a month. Murphy also gave us a flavor of what to expect by citing the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots spin-off, which saw Antonio Banderas return to the titular role. "And we're doing a Donkey movie," said Murphy. "We're doing Shrek 5. Yeah, we're doing Shrek 5. And in September, we start doing Donkey. We're doing this like Puss in Boots, which had its own movie. Donkey is going to have his own movie too. I'm really excited."
It’s the most expansive update yet from Murphy, who previously confirmed in another Collider interview that he had begun voice work on Shrek 5 and was prepping for the Donkey spin-off. While specifics on the plot are being kept under wraps — and understandably so, considering DreamWorks' piecemeal recording process — the actor made it clear he’s deep in the process, and the improvisational magic that made Donkey a standout is still very much alive.
Before we reunite with Shrek, Fiona, and the rest of the gang, Murphy has another wild ride in store. The Pickup hits Prime Video on August 6, 2025, and it’s a high-octane, laugh-out-loud heist comedy that pairs Murphy with Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer in what might be his most chaotic onscreen day yet. Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Barbershop), the film follows Murphy’s character, Russell Pierce, a seasoned armored truck driver whose routine cash delivery spirals into absolute mayhem after an ambush by a crew led by Palmer’s Zoe.
Stay tuned to Collider for updates on both The Pickup and the upcoming Shrek projects.
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