‘Shrek 5’ Trailer: 5 Wild References You May Have Missed

Published on June 17, 2026

Updated on June 17, 2026

I couldn’t be more excited that there is new footage from a Shrek (2001) movie—16 years after the last one. Of course, it will be 17 years by the time that Shrek 5 (2027) releases, but that means the excitement will only grow over the next year. After so many delays, it just feels good to see these amazing characters again. After all, Shrek (Mike Myers), Fiona (Cameron Diaz), and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) are one of cinema’s most iconic trios, if you ask me.

Shrek 5’s teaser trailer also catches up with them and Shrek and Fiona’s sons, Fergus (Marcello Hernández) and Farkle (Skyler Gisondo). Strangely, their daughter, Felicia (Zendaya), is absent from the footage. However, that may be a part of the movie’s plot. All the trailer reveals is that it follows, per Donkey’s drumroll, “Two stalwart friends on a whirlwind, big city adventure.” The Shrek 5 trailer also features Smash Mouth’s “All Star,” but that song is practically synonymous with the franchise at this point. You can catch up on the adventures, including Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek The Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010) by watching them on Peacock, Prime Video, and more.

‘Shrek 5’ Trades Far Far Away for Further Further Away

Fiona (Cameron Diaz) has her head in her hand next to Shrek (Mike Myers), who has his arms crossed, in Shrek 5.

One of the first self-referential references that immediately sent me into the greatest nostalgia spiral comes in the first second of the Shrek 5 teaser trailer. It’s Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell’s “Fairytale” instrumental as the storybook comes into focus. Yes, the book looks a bit different for this one, with the onion on the cover, but it’s still so familiar that it’s comforting.

There have been two spinoff movies about Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) since Shrek Forever After. First was Puss in Boots (2011), followed by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022). Additionally, The Adventures of Puss in Boots (2015) was on the small screen. So, I was genuinely excited when the sequel’s post-credits scene saw Puss returning to the Kingdom of Far Far Away. I thought that meant that the original, lovable cast of characters would reunite. Instead, it looks like Shrek 5 is taking a different route—literally.

“Once Upon a Time, a hideous ogre and a delusional donkey embarked on a journey to the magical city of Further Further Away,” the new book reveals. It’s unclear if the village shown in the trailer is Further Further Away or just a stop along the way, but it is very different from Far Far Away. Fiona captures that in her one and only line: “Speed up, Shrek.” Far Far Away has become a fan-favorite setting for the Shrek franchise, so any new place is going to feel, well, new. It helps that it certainly does for the characters. Shrek, Fiona, Fergus, Farkle, and Donkey end up in jail—for some reason. Oddly, there’s no sign of their daughter, Felicia, which is strange.

The Jokes Are In the Details of the ‘Shrek 5’ Trailer

Donkey stands on the table in Shrek's Swap while Shrek points at him in Shrek 5.

However, there is a sneak peek of Donkey and Dragon’s family through photos on the walls at Shrek’s Swamp. Since there has been so much time since these characters were last together, there is a lot to catch up on—jokes included. Some things are the same, like Donkey’s ability to sing through the good and bad. While in jail, he sings both the Player’s “Baby Come Back” and The Police’s “Roxanne.” The latter has to be a nod to Eddie Murphy in 48 Hrs. (1982), right? Donkey also thinks this latest adventure calls for a makeover: “Get my arms yoked, and my back jacked, my abs abd-ed, maybe even tighten my badonkadonk.”

Meanwhile, Shrek 5’s teaser trailer catches up with Gingerbread Man (Conrad Vernon), who has had that makeover. He is, as he says, “caked up like a freaking bakery” with two gumdrops on his butt. The short trailer also packs references to other familiar properties. One can guess that Fiona riding on the back of a broom steered by a witch may be a nod to Wicked (2024). The colorful mermaids in that same, fast sequence may refer to live-action The Little Mermaid (2023). The most pointed reference has to be a snowman in an alley, who asks, “Wanna date a snowman?” That has to refer to Frozen’s (2013) “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”

It’s truly wild to realize that there hasn’t been a new Shrek movie since the first Frozen movie. There is also some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it graffiti from or for the Pied Piper (Jeremy Steig), who worked with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn). Could that mean that Shrek 5 will see his return? There’s so much to speculate about, both because the movie is a year out and because DreamWorks has been so secretive about the plot. Hopefully, this teaser trailer is only the beginning of learning a lot more over the next 12 months.