Credit: DreamworksDisney is stepping into DreamWorks’ swamp… Shrek (2001) and all of its sequels are now streaming on Disney+ in the United States. Here’s who can watch.
A Surprising Collaboration
In 1994, former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg formed DreamWorks Animation alongside Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. After losing his role at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he had been a key driver of the Disney Renaissance, Katzenberg recruited some of his former collaborators to work on films he hoped would rival the company’s dominance in the family-friendly entertainment sector.
DreamWorks Animation’s first film, Antz, premiered on October 2, 1998–a month and a half before Disney and Pixar released the suspiciously similar A Bug’s Life (1998). Anyway…
The company’s first film was supposed to be The Prince of Egypt (1998), which premiered two months after Antz. The story goes that animators who failed to perform as expected on that project were punished by being forced to work on a strange movie about an introverted ogre who somehow falls in love with a princess.
Fast-forward to 2026, and Shrek has three sequels, with a fifth film coming next year, and several spinoff projects, including the Puss in Boots franchise (2011). And now, decades after Katzenberg’s break from Walt Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks Animation’s first box office phenomenon is now in the hands of the Mouse.
The Shrek Franchise Now Streaming on Disney+
On April 2, Disney+ announced on social media that Shrek, Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010) are now streaming exclusively to Hulu bundle subscribers.
If you peel back our layers, you’ll find all the Shrek films with Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. 🧅
If you peel back our layers, you'll find all the Shrek films with Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. 🧅 pic.twitter.com/XY48VemoXw
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) April 2, 2026
Although the DreamWorks Animation films have been available on Disney+ in select international markets for some time, this is their first appearance on The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service in the United States.
Subscribers must have a Hulu bundle to watch Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After on Disney+. Note: the company does not own the DreamWorks Animation films; they’re available through a licensing deal. Universal Parks and Resorts retains the theme park rights to this and other DreamWorks franchises.
What other films would you like to see included in the Hulu bundle on Disney+? Share your ideas with Inside the Magic in the comments!