Shrek 5 First Look Leaves Fans Furious Over ‘Weird’ Redesigns

Shrek 5 teaser reveals redesigned characters, sparking backlash as DreamWorks confirms Christmas 2026 release.

 DreamWorks has released the first teaser for Shrek 5, confirming a Christmas 2026 release date. However, rather than excitement, the trailer has sparked a wave of backlash from longtime fans due to the redesigned character models.

The teaser, which debuted on social media, features Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey interacting with a magic mirror in a TikTok-inspired sequence. While the original cast—Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy—returns, fans were quick to criticize the updated animation style, which leans more into DreamWorks’ modern CGI approach.

DreamWorks disabled comments on the YouTube upload, but reactions on social media have been overwhelmingly negative. Some compared the redesigns to the infamous Sonic the Hedgehog movie backlash, which led to a complete character overhaul before release. One fan wrote, “what did they do to him?”

what did they do to him 😭😭😭 #Shrek5 pic.twitter.com/gBJCVnK5nx

— thomas 🫧 (@lightuupthesky) February 27, 2025

Why does the animation look like an AI interpretation of what Shrek 5 could look like  💔 https://t.co/O1DcTCqfMH pic.twitter.com/M16DYYQYKE

— Saammuel (@Saammuel) February 27, 2025

Just saw the new animation for shrek 5 just cancel the whole thing at this point pic.twitter.com/Jkv6MzyJb7

— ‏َ (@sammyfabelmen) February 27, 2025

wrong person: Shrek 5 looks good
what Shrek 5 looks like: pic.twitter.com/RYWvfKpwnp

— Nick (@Cohrlan) February 27, 2025

Zendaya has been confirmed as a new addition to the cast, though details about her role remain undisclosed. Notably absent from the teaser was Antonio Banderas' Puss in Boots, despite his recent success with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

The film marks the franchise’s return after 15 years, following Shrek Forever After in 2010. Despite the initial criticism, Shrek 5 is moving forward, with fans hoping for improvements before its cinematic debut.

Shrek 5 hits theaters Christmas 2026.