Table of Contents
For years, fans have been begging DreamWorks to give everyone’s favorite sidekick his own time in the spotlight. Well, pull up a chair and get your waffle iron ready, because it is finally happening. DreamWorks Animation has officially confirmed that Donkey is getting his very own spinoff movie!
Following the massive buzz surrounding the announcement of Shrek 5, this new solo venture proves that the Shrek universe is far from over. In this ultimate guide, we are going to break down everything you need to know about the upcoming Donkey movie, including the release date, the cast, the creative team behind the scenes, and what this means for the future of Far, Far Away.
When is the Donkey Movie Release Date?
Let’s start with the question that is on everyone’s mind: When can we actually see this movie in theaters?
Mark your calendars: The Donkey spinoff movie is officially scheduled to hit theaters on June 30, 2028.
Originally, DreamWorks’ parent company, Universal Pictures, had saved this prime summer release date for an “Untitled Illumination Event Film” (the studio behind Minions and The Super Mario Bros. Movie). However, the studio decided to shift things around to give our favorite talking donkey the ultimate summer blockbuster slot.
This release date tells us a few things. First, DreamWorks has massive confidence in this project. Late June is prime real estate for family movies, right at the start of the summer school holidays. Second, it gives the creative team plenty of time to perfect the animation, write a killer script, and make sure the movie lives up to the incredibly high standards set by recent hits like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
To put things into perspective, here is how the next few years are shaping up for fans of the franchise:
| Movie Title | Expected Release Window | What It Means for the Franchise |
| Shrek 5 | Summer 2025 / 2026 | The main gang returns after a long hiatus. |
| Donkey Spinoff | June 30, 2028 | The first-ever solo movie dedicated to Donkey. |
The Plot: What Will the Donkey Movie Be About?
While DreamWorks is keeping specific plot points tightly under wraps, they did drop a massive hint that has fans incredibly excited. The studio has described the film as an origin story that will explore “how a donkey became Donkey.”
Think about it: out of all the characters in the Shrek universe, Donkey is arguably the most mysterious. When we first meet him in the original 2001 film, he is being sold by an old woman who claims he is a “talking donkey.” But we never find out why he can talk.
- Was he cursed by a witch?
- Was he originally a human who got turned into an animal (kind of like the boys in Pinocchio)?
- Was he born special?
- Where did he learn to love waffles so much?
An origin story is the perfect way to answer the questions that fans have been debating on Reddit and TikTok for decades. Here are a few things we hope the movie explores:
- The Origin of the Voice: Why is he the only donkey in the land who can speak fluent, fast-paced English?
- His Life Before Shrek: What was he doing before he ran into the swamp? Who was the old woman trying to sell him, and how did he end up in her custody?
- The Dragon Romance Foreshadowing: Okay, maybe this happens later in the timeline, but we would love to see if he had any previous run-ins with mythical creatures that prepared him to fall in love with a literal fire-breathing dragon.
No matter what direction the writers take, focusing on his past means we get to see a whole new side of a character we’ve known for over twenty years.
>>> Read more: The Ultimate Guide to DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island
The Cast: Is Eddie Murphy Returning?
Let’s be completely honest: you cannot have a Donkey movie without Eddie Murphy. His iconic, high-energy, hilarious vocal performance is 90% of why the character is so beloved worldwide.
Thankfully, DreamWorks knew better than to try to recast the role. Eddie Murphy is officially confirmed to reprise his role as Donkey.
In fact, Murphy has been championing this project for years. In various interviews leading up to the announcement, he frequently mentioned that he would jump at the chance to play Donkey again, even going so far as to joke that Donkey is way funnier than Puss in Boots and deserved a movie first! It is safe to say that Murphy is bringing his signature passion and comedic genius back to the recording booth.
Because this is an origin story set before the events of the first Shrek movie, it is unlikely that we will see Shrek or Princess Fiona play major roles in the main plot. However, this opens the door for:
- Brand new characters: New animal sidekicks, fairy tale villains, or quirky humans.
- Familiar cameos: We might see younger versions of other classic fairy tale characters, like Pinocchio, the GingerBread Man, or the Big Bad Wolf.
- A framing device: The movie could easily start in the present day with Eddie Murphy’s Donkey telling his kids (the Dronkeys) a bedtime story about his past, which means we could get cameos from Dragon and the kids!
The Creative Team Behind the Scenes
A movie is only as good as the people making it, and DreamWorks has assembled an absolute powerhouse team of animation veterans to bring the Donkey movie to life. If you loved the style, humor, and heart of recent animated hits, you are going to love who is running the show here.
The Directors
The film will be directed by Charlie Bean. If that name sounds familiar, it is because he has a fantastic track record in animation and family entertainment. He directed The Lego Ninjago Movie and Disney’s live-action reimagining of Lady and the Tramp. He also worked heavily on The Lego Batman Movie, which is widely praised for its fast-paced, self-aware humor—a style that fits Donkey perfectly.
Serving as co-director is Matt Flynn. Flynn is a longtime DreamWorks story artist who has been a secret weapon for the studio for years. His recent credits include some of the most critically acclaimed animated movies of the decade:
- The Wild Robot (Known for its incredible emotional depth and stunning visuals)
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Praised for reinventing the Shrek universe’s visual style)
- The Bad Guys 2 (Masters of fast, witty, heist-style comedy)
Having someone like Flynn on board ensures that the movie will stay true to the classic DreamWorks DNA while pushing the boundaries of modern animation.
The Producer
Producing the film is Rebecca Huntley, another heavyweight at the studio. Her recent production credits include Kung Fu Panda 4 and the original The Bad Guys. Huntley knows exactly how to handle massive, multi-million-dollar franchises and deliver movies that appeal equally to toddlers, teenagers, and nostalgic adults.
Why a Donkey Spinoff Makes Perfect Sense
To understand why DreamWorks is making this movie now, you have to look at the numbers and the cultural impact of the Shrek franchise as a whole.
The $2.9 Billion Powerhouse
Since the original Shrek debuted all the way back in 2001, the franchise has grossed more than $2.9 billion worldwide. It isn’t just a movie series anymore; it is a global empire. The franchise has spawned:
- Multiple cinematic sequels
- Two highly successful Puss in Boots spinoff movies
- A critically acclaimed Broadway musical
- Live touring productions
- Theme park attractions across the globe
- An endless sea of internet memes that keep the franchise relevant for younger generations
Following the ‘Puss in Boots’ Blueprint
For a long time, Hollywood was skeptical about character spinoffs. Sometimes, a sidekick is funny because they are in short supply, and giving them a full 90-minute movie can wear out their welcome.
However, DreamWorks completely shattered that myth with Puss in Boots (2011) and its 2022 sequel, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The latter was a massive box office hit and was nominated for an Academy Award. It proved that if you give a beloved sidekick a deeply emotional story, stunning animation, and great writing, audiences will show up in droves.
Donkey is arguably even more popular than Puss in Boots. He is the original sidekick, the emotional anchor for Shrek, and the source of the franchise’s most quotable lines. Giving him a solo feature is a logical step that fans have been waiting for for nearly a quarter of a century.
What the Visual Style Might Look Like
While we haven’t seen a trailer or concept art yet, we can make some educated guesses based on DreamWorks’ recent projects.
With Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Bad Guys, DreamWorks moved away from the traditional, hyper-realistic 3D look and adopted a more stylized, painterly, “2.5D” animation style (similar to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). It gave the action scenes an incredible comic-book energy and made the fairy tale world look like a living storybook.
Given that co-director Matt Flynn worked directly on The Last Wish, there is a very high chance the Donkey movie will adopt a similar, breathtaking visual style. Imagine a younger, softer Donkey running through a vibrant, beautifully textured fairy tale world; it’s bound to look incredible on the big screen.
Final Thoughts: A Golden Age for Far, Far Away
We are officially living in a DreamWorks renaissance. Between the upcoming arrival of Shrek 5 and this newly confirmed Donkey origin story set for June 30, 2028, fans of the franchise have a lot to look forward to.
Stay tuned for more updates, trailer breakdowns, and casting news as we get closer to the summer of 2028!
Source: cartoonbrew
–
Animost – Vietnam 3D Animation Studio
hello@animost.com