'Shrek' Is Being Rebooted With Original Voice Cast, Including Donkey Spinoff

There is no denying that animation seems to be better than ever. Though Disney and Pixar were always at the top of the animation world, companies like Illumination, DreamWorks, and Sony’s Spider-Verse movies have shown that there are plenty of companies that can deliver some fantastic stories in the animated world. Speaking of Illumination, they are mulling over bringing back the original voice cast for a proposed Shrek reboot.

Related: Could the New ‘Shrek’ Franchise Movie Topple Disney Dominance?

The Shrek movies were highly successful, and it stands to reason that they would be brought back, especially with the success of Puss in Boots. The Shrek spinoff rocketed to a $442.5 million global box office haul, which is undoubtedly a reason to rethink if more Shrek universe characters would succeed.

Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, sat down with Variety and spoke about the possibilities of bringing back one of the best-animated franchises ever made. Though Meledandri is busy with the upcoming release of the Super Mario Bros Movie, he has revealed that talks with the original cast of Shrek are already happening.

According to Meledandri, “We anticipate the cast coming back. Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return.”

Eddie Murphy spoke about the possibility of a Donkey spinoff, especially leading up to the success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. Murphy said, “If [DreamWorks] ever came with another ‘Shrek,’ I’d do it in two seconds. I love Donkey. They did ‘Puss in Boots’ movies. I was like, ‘They should have done a Donkey movie.’ Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t funny as the Donkey.”

Meledandri also echoed the excitement for a Donkey spinoff potential when asked if Murphy’s Donkey could lead his own movie; he said, “Without question.” We would assume that there is plenty of years where Donkey was by himself before he met Shrek, which would undoubtedly make for a good movie.

We don’t know if this proposed Shrek 5 would follow in the footsteps of its predecessors and showcase Shrek, Fiona, and their family of ogres. However, Meledandri indicated that the plan for the new movie would be a “reboot.” It would be a bit difficult to erase the history of Shrek and Fiona and start anew, but it would also make sense just to restart everything.

Related: Fresh Off ‘Puss In Boots’ Comeback, Antonio Banderas Is Already Talking ‘Shrek 5’

Rumplestilskin did erase the ogre’s history in the last movie, so some sort of magical spell could make sure that Shrek essentially starts over again. Either way, there are plenty of exciting ways in which the original voice cast can return to one of the most beloved animated franchises in the world.

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