DreamWorks Confirms ‘Donkey’ Spinoff, Sets June 2028 Release

DreamWorks Animation is heading back to Far, Far Away with Shrek 5 next summer, but that’s not the company’s only planned return to its flagship franchise. Donkey, the franchise’s first character-focused spinoff centered on Eddie Murphy’s beloved sidekick, has been officially confirmed by the studio and will arrive in theaters on June 30, 2028.

The film takes over a release date previously reserved for an untitled Illumination event film.

Murphy will reprise his role as Donkey in what DreamWorks describes as an origin story exploring “how a donkey became Donkey.” The project marks the character’s first solo feature after appearing in all four Shrek films and the two Puss in Boots movies.

The film will be directed by Charlie Bean (The Lego Batman Movie, Disney’s live-action Lady and the Tramp), with Matt Flynn, a longtime DreamWorks story artist whose credits include The Wild Robot, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and The Bad Guys 2, serving as co-director. Rebecca Huntley (Kung Fu Panda 4, The Bad Guys) is producing.

The announcement continues DreamWorks’ renewed investment in the Shrek universe. Since the original film debuted in 2001, the franchise has grossed more than $2.9 billion worldwide and has expanded into Broadway, live touring productions, theme park attractions, and other entertainment ventures. With Donkey, the studio appears poised to deepen that universe by giving one of its most popular characters a long-awaited starring vehicle.