The 'Beverly Hills Cop' star confirms his involvement in two upcoming 'Shrek' projects, including the fifth mainline film and a spin-off centered around his beloved character, Donkey.
- Jun 25, 2024
AceShowbiz - In an exciting revelation for fans of the "Shrek" series, Eddie Murphy has announced his participation in not just one, but two new projects within the beloved franchise. The "Beverly Hills Cop" star confirmed to Collider that he has already begun recording sessions for "Shrek 5" as well as an upcoming Donkey-centric film.
"We started doing ['Shrek 5'] months ago," Murphy stated. "I recorded the first act, and we'll be doing it this year, we’ll finish it up."
The upcoming "Shrek" installment, expected to launch in 2025, comes almost a quarter-century after the original film premiered in 2001. Though the main characters, Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) and Donkey (voiced by Murphy), have been off-screen since 2010's "Shrek Forever After", their temporary return in a cameo for 2022's "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" rekindled the audience's interest. The recent success of this spin-off, which garnered rave reviews and an Oscar nomination, has seemingly paved the way for the character of Donkey to receive his own spotlight.
Murphy couldn't contain his excitement about the forthcoming Donkey film. "Donkey's gonna have his own movie. We’re gonna do Donkey as well," he confirmed. His enthusiasm was practically infectious, as he previously declared in an interview with ETalk, "Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain't funny as the Donkey."
Details on the plot of the Donkey spin-off remain under wraps, leaving fans speculating. Will it delve into the popular fan theory that Donkey was once a human transformed into an animal? Could it explore his dynamic relationship with his wife, Dragon? Or might it focus on his quirky promise to make waffles in the morning?
While DreamWorks Animation has yet to officially confirm Murphy's updates, the animation studio has a track record of delivering fan-favorite sequels and spin-offs, as seen with the "Puss in Boots" series. The anticipation among the franchise's original cast, including Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas, signals strong potential for the project's success.
When reflecting on his role, Myers mentioned to GQ in 2022, "The concept of going from a self-loathing ogre to a self-accepting ogre was meaningful to me. I love playing Shrek. If I had to do one 'Shrek' a year, I'd be thrilled."
With the "Shrek" franchise amassing more than $4 billion at the box office to date, the return of these beloved characters could spell another blockbuster hit. Stay tuned as the magic of "Shrek" continues to unfold, promising to enchant both old fans and new audiences alike.
