Eddie Murphy to lead ‘Shrek’ spin-off ‘Donkey!’

DreamWorks and Universal have confirmed that Donkey, a character in Shrek, will lead his own animated origin story, with Eddie Murphy returning to voice the beloved character following Shrek 5.

The wisecracking sidekick is stepping out of Shrek’s shadow in a standalone film set for release in 2028, giving fans a closer look at the backstory of one of the franchise’s most beloved characters.

The animated feature, titled Donkey! will explore how the talkative companion first became the character audiences met in the original Shrek.

The announcement comes a year after the planned release of Shrek 5, which is due to arrive in cinemas in summer 2027, reuniting Murphy, Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz as Donkey, Shrek and Princess Fiona, respectively. Zendaya has also joined the cast of the long-awaited sequel.

Donkey! will be directed by Charlie Bean, whose previous credits include The Lego Batman Movie and the live-action Lady and the Tramp.

Rebecca Huntley, who produced Kung Fu Panda 4 and The Bad Guys, will serve as producer, while DreamWorks story artist Matt Flynn will co-direct the film.

The project will serve as an origin story exploring how an ordinary donkey became the endlessly optimistic companion whose rapid-fire humour helped define the ogre series.

But before Donkey takes centre stage, audiences will return to the kingdom of Far Far Away in Shrek 5.

Franchise veterans Conrad Vernon and Walt Dohrn are directing the sequel, with Murphy, Myers and Diaz all reprising the roles they first played more than two decades ago.

Eddie’s portrayal of Donkey has become one of the defining performances of his well-decorated career, adding to a filmography which includes Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, and The Nutty Professor

Myers, meanwhile, remains closely associated with Austin Powers and Wayne’s World, while Diaz returned to acting earlier this year after stepping away from Hollywood for almost a decade.

The original Shrek premiered in 2001 and transformed the fairy-tale genre by placing a misunderstood ogre at the centre of the story rather than a traditional prince or princess.

The film became both a critical and commercial success, earning almost US$500 million worldwide and becoming the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Its success led to three sequels – Shrek 2 in 2004, Shrek the Third in 2007 and Shrek Forever After in 2010 – along with two Puss in Boots spin-off films.

Collectively, the franchise has generated more than US $3 billion at the global box office.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com