Bernelee Vollmer | Published 55 minutes ago
"And then I saw her face, Now I'm a believer..."
Some songs just refuse to retire, and "I’m a Believer" is still doing emotional overtime for a swamp love story we all grew up on.
If you know, you know. Before "Shrek" became a meme factory and Donkey basically became a personality type, "I’m a Believer" closed out the original film with a happily-ever-after that still hits a soft spot years later.
Now that nostalgia is crawling right back into focus with the first full trailer for "Shrek 5".
Yes, it is official. The swamp is open for business again.
The trailer dropped more than a year ahead of the film’s planned release date of 30 June 2027.
Mike Myers returns as "Shrek", Eddie Murphy is back as Donkey, and Cameron Diaz reprises her iconic role as Princess Fiona. The original trio is intact, but what stands out this time is less about who is returning and more about the time that has passed around them.
It has been 17 years since "Shrek Forever After", and that gap shapes how this comeback lands. These are characters returning after an entire generation has grown up, moved on and then circled back again.
The familiarity is still there, but it now sits alongside a sense of distance that changes how every interaction feels.
Shrek’s design is still recognisably Shrek, but everything looks slightly more polished. His facial structure feels softer in movement, his textures are cleaner and yes, his eyebrows are doing more work than you remember.
Donkey, meanwhile, looks sharper in animation with more detailed fur movement and exaggerated expressions that push his chaotic energy even further. Fiona carries a more refined animated style too, leaning into modern detailing without losing her original look.
But the biggest shift is not just cosmetic.
Zendaya, Marcello Hernández and Skylar Gisondo join the cast as Shrek and Fiona’s children, pushing the story into a new generation of swamp-level drama.
Shrek is no longer just fighting dragons and fairytale politics; he is dealing with parenting. And imagine that narrative in 2027.
It has been 17 years since "Shrek Forever After" closed the book on the original run. That is long enough for audiences to grow up, quote the films relentlessly and then act like they are too cool for them while still knowing every line.
Interestingly, this was never meant to be a surprise revival. DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg revealed years ago that the "Shrek" story was originally planned as a five-film arc before the first movie even wrapped production.
So "Shrek 5" is a long-delayed chapter finally catching up.
The trailer hints at family dynamics taking centre stage, with Shrek and Fiona navigating life as parents while still stuck in their fairytale world. Expect awkward generational clashes and that familiar mix of heart and nonsense that made the franchise what it is.
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ZA