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Popular! “Wicked” is already popular, having grossed nearly $740 million in worldwide box office. But as the film based on the hit Broadway musical premieres on Peacock this weekend, NBCUniversal’s marketing team has organized a corporate-wide campaign to make sure this “Wicked” window is as pop-you-lar as its theatrical run.

The arrival of “Wicked” on Peacock on Friday, March 21, is the culmination of what NBCU has dubbed “Wicked Week” to generate awareness of its availability on the streamer. On Peacock, that has included a “Wicked-fied” version of its logo, as well as character profile avatars and “affinity rails” that places “Wicked” inside specially tailored genres like “Unusually & Exceedingly Peculiar” and “Magical & Mystical Worlds”.

Also, a “mystery tile stunt” on Peacock last week featured images of Elphaba and Glinda holding hands, strategically placed between tiles for other TV shows and films.

Peacock has now launched a “Wicked” hub that features...

Spoiler Alert: Details follow for Season 13, Episode 6 of “The Masked Singer,” “Grand Ole Opry Night,” which aired March 19 on Fox.

I don’t want to wait, for this episode to be over. I want to know right now who will it be… and indeed, it was “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek. The Beek was the latest celebrity to be unmasked Wednesday on Fox’s hit music competition series, having performed as Griffin.

Van Der Beek was eliminated after singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home (Country Roads).” During the episode, he alluded to his recent colorectal cancer diagnosis: “Recently, we got some news that changed everything. It’s been a really tough year. But fortunately, we’ve been able to face this challenge together, in our home. I would not have gotten through all of this without them. They make me smile through the tough days and are...

The new Cameron Diaz movie has become a global streaming sensation. The American actor became an A-list star off the back of prominent romantic comedies from the late 1990s, including My Best Friend's Wedding (in which she played Julia Roberts' romantic rival) and There's Something About Mary (in which she played the title role opposite Ben Stiller). She has also taken on major projects in other genres, including starring in 2000's Charlie's Angels and its 2003 sequel Full Throttle, as well as voicing Princess Fiona in DreamWorks' animated Shrek franchise.

However, for a full decade between 2014 and 2024, she starred in no movies at all. Cameron Diaz retired from acting, with her final project until 2025 being the 2014 remake of Annie starring Quvenzhané Wallis and Jamie Foxx. She spent that decade focusing on her family, working to "reclaim" her life, and working in the wellness space, including launching an organic wine brand and publishing The Longevity Book.

John Lithgowhas made a name for himself by playing memorable characters like Winston Churchill in The Crown, Dick Solomon in 3rd Rock From the Sun, and Arthur Mitchell in Dexter. While his face is instantly recognizable, his voice is also a unique part of his identity, and the proof is in 2001's animated film Shrek. When viewers saw Shrek, many recognized Eddie Murphy as the voice of Donkey, and some were also quick to recognize Lithgow as the voice of the villainous tyrant Lord Farquaad. Although the character made quite an impression in the movie, the actor admits that he didn't think the movie was going to that big a deal. He thought he was giving voice to a "Saturday morning cartoon."

Lithgow is in the spotlight nowadays because of his confirmed participation in the Harry PotterTV reboot. He's set to play Hogwarts' headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the series. Overnight,...

John Lithgow is no stranger to playing villains. The actor has played a number of standout roles over the course of his fifty-plus-year career, particularly excelling and gaining notoriety for his memorable supporting characters. In addition to providing the voice of the villainous Lord Farquad in Shrek (2001), Lithgow played villain characters in Ricochet (1991), Bombshell (2019), Blow Out (1981), Raising Cane (1992), and the Dexter TV show. He also appeared as a larger-than-life villain in a 1993 movie starring Sylvester Stallone.

Stallone has been a fixture of the action genre for decades, getting his start with Rocky in 1976 and continuing to play the iconic boxer in a handful of sequels. He's also known for playing tortured veteran Rambo, of course, a role that dates back to 1982's First Blood. Since then, Stallone has appeared in action movies like Cobra (1986), Demolition Man (1993), Judge Dredd (1995), The Expendables (2014), Bullet to the Head (2012) and Escape Plan (2013). His 1993 collaboration with Lithgow,...

Who needs Netflix and Prime? BBC iPlayer has a terrific collection of films to watch – here’s our updated list of what to watch right now (and when they’re leaving the service).

Whilst all eyes tend to be on streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime when it comes to movie updates, on the quiet the BBC iPlayer service continues to play host to a limited, diverse selection of films. What’s more, a good number of them you can download to your tablet to watch on the move.

So, without further ado, welcome to the weekly updated iPlayer film list. This list will be updated every week with the test available data from the BBC, in order of how long you have left to watch (so you can prioritise your viewing pleasure)

New! – denotes all new movies this week!

Brand-new This Week: In the Loop, The Ipcress File,...

John Lithgow, the Hollywood legend who was recently cast as Albus Dumbledore in the TV reboot of the Harry Potter franchise, has teased his version of the beloved Hogwarts Headmaster and one of the most important characters of the Wizarding World. While many still disagree over the casting of the show (and just the show in general), the Harry Potter TV series is happening, and Lithgow's remarks are pretty exciting for those on board.

Per Variety, the actor, who is best known for shows like The Crown and 3rd Rock From the Sun and movies like Shrek and Interstellar, was featured in an episode of their series Know Their Lines, where celebrities answer questions about their careers. Lithgow spoke about many of his roles in films and television. Nevertheless, he also teased his role in the Harry Potter TV reboot, saying that due to the complexity and scope, it will...

It's hard to believe that 25 years have passed since the new millennium, bringing new technology, evolving social change, and, of course, spectacular movies. The stage for the 2000s was set with titles premiering in 2000, featuring fresh comedies, stunning animated films, and captivating dramas.

Many of these films have made a significant impact on cinema and are still consistently referenced and quoted today. Each film is unique in its own way and has served as inspiration for countless other films that parallel their cinematic perspective and narrative structure.

The Road to El Dorado Helped Launch DreamWorks as an Animation Staple Released March 31, 2000

Founded by legendary director Steven Spielberg, American film producer David Geffen, and former Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks is known as one of the most prominent animation studios of the 21st century. Responsible for the Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon franchise, in addition to many other impactful films,...

Spoiler Alert: Details follow for Season 13, Episode 5 of “The Masked Singer,” “Ghostbusters Night,” which aired March 12 on Fox.

If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Not 911, because as a wise man once said, “911 is a Joke.” That wise man was Flava Flav, and yeah boyeeee, he was the latest celebrity to be revealed Wednesday on Fox’s hit music competition series “The Masked Singer.” Flav was unmasked as the Space Ranger, during the show’s “Ghostbusters” themed night.

So get up and get get get down. Flavor Flav was eliminated for singing The Bus Boy’s “Cleaning Up the Town.” Flav told Variety that participating in “The Masked Singer” was a bucket list item for him, even if he was gone too soon.

“I love surprising people and fooling people,” he said. “I love being like that, the center of attention. When I saw my episode last night,...

Netflix's charts are always dynamic, filled with all kinds of genres. Most recently, animated projects have experienced a surge in popularity.

Not long ago, the Despicable Me franchise kicked Shrek off the global streaming charts and proved why it's the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time. However, per Tudum, Despicable Me has a new fierce competitor with the SpongeBob spinoff, Plankton: The Movie. For the week between March 3 and March 9,Plankton: The Movie topped the charts globally. Although it only premiered on the platform on March 7, it still managed to add 14.3 million views, with 21 million hours viewed.

Despicable Me 4 followed just behind it in its second week on the platform. The latest entry in the franchise had 10.1 million views and 15.9 million hours viewed. The movie spent two weeks in the Top 10, and entered the charts in four countries. It wasn't the only title in the franchise in the Top 10 globally,...

Quick LinksShrek's 2020s Makeover for 'Shrek 5'The Positive Side of Shrek's Redesign

Animation lovers, rejoice! Shrek is coming back to the big screens in late 2026. This DreamWorks franchise is easily one of the most popular animated properties of this century. So a new film should have united fans both young and old, right? Right? Not exactly, as all anyone can talk about online is the new design of the characters in Shrek 5. It's difficult to define just what exactly is upsetting fans, but it mostly boils down to Shrek looking "different."

This redesign isn't that unexpected, as it's been nearly 16 years since the last Shrek movie. CGI animation has improved in that time, with DreamWorks utilizing new technological methods. It's also been a full 25 years since the inaugural Shrek film, released when CGI was in its infancy. Each of the three subsequent films preserved most of the designs...

When Will Finn's and John Standford's animated musical Western "Home on the Range" was released, it came with an elegiac announcement. Disney, you see, had been struggling throughout the early 2000s. The 1990s renaissance was over, and much of the studio's more recent output was either failing critically or commercially. Films like "Fantasia 2000," "The Emperor's New Groove," and "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" were only modest successes, while films like "Dinosaur" and "Brother Bear" were coming and going without much notice. The studio's clunky sci-fi epic "Treasure Planet" notoriously lost buckets of money, which didn't inspire confidence. It didn't help that DreamWorks was attracting huge animation audiences with films like "Shrek" — a notoriously anti-Disney movie.

As such, to appear competitive, Disney announced that "Home on the Range" was going to be the studio's last-ever traditionally hand-drawn feature film. After that, it was to be 100% CGI. Animation purists panicked, feeling...

Apple TV+ has unveiled a new trailer for Seth Rogen's upcoming comedy show, The Studio. The star-studded series will feature guest appearances from A-list actors in every episode.

Apple dropped the new trailer for The Studio ahead of the show's global premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival's Opening Night TV Premiere event. Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the new head of a film studio struggling to stay relevant, as he and his team work to wrangle narcissistic artists and their corporate overlords while making great films. The ten-episode comedy will premiere globally on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, with a two-episode drop, followed by new episodes releasing weekly every Wednesday through May 21 on Apple's streaming platform.

The Studio features a star-studded ensemble cast with Apple teasing A-list cameos in each of the ten episodes. Catherine O'Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Barinholtz and Chase Sui Wonders are among the confirmed actors to appear in...

Kolbi Jordan is one of the talented singers hoping to impress the judges on Season 23 of American Idol. She confirmed on January 25 that she was one of the contestants on the upcoming season, writing on Instagram, “So I did a thing. Tune in on March 9th, 2025 to find out what happened! Did I get the golden ticket??? See Y’All Then.” Just days before the American Idol premiere, Kolbi revealed that she’d be one of the artists featured in the first episode. She posted a photo of herself talking to host Ryan Seacrest, which she captioned, “I wonder what Ryan and I were talking about. Find out on March 9th on ABC! American Idol!!!!!” Scroll down for everything we know about Kolbi Jordan so far. Where is Kolbi Jordan from? Kolbi is from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She graduated from Union High School in 2016, where she starred in the school production of Shrek.

"Ne Zha 2," or "Ne Zha: The Demon Boy Havoc in the Sea," is making waves at the box office, breaking records and making history every week. Like its predecessor, it took five years to make this movie, and over 100 animation companies around the world and thousands of artists contributed to it. That's an epic production worthy of its epic story, and audiences are responding in kind, showing up to movie theaters in droves to see it. This has catapulted "Ne Zha 2" to the very top of the list of highest-grossing animated films ever made, despite only releasing outside of China a couple of weeks ago.

Loosely based on the 16th-century Chinese novel "Investiture of the Gods," the film tells the mythical story of Nezha, a popular character in Chinese mythology who becomes a deity. These films follow the rise of Ne Zha, a rebellious prankster of a boy born from a heavenly pearl,...

HBO is slowly building out the cast list for its upcoming Harry Potter reboot. Most recently, it filled one of the most important roles in the entire franchise: Professor Albus Dumbledore, who will be played by Shrek star John Lithgow in the new series. Despite being a beloved actor who has starred in everything from Third Rock From the Sun to Star Wars, Lithgow's casting was seen as being controversial because he's American. Fans rushed to social media to complain about the casting, but Lithgow is putting everyone's minds at ease as he promises to do the character justice.

During an interview with Collider, to promote his new movie The Rule of Jenny Pen, Lithgow addressed the controversy surrounding his Harry Potter casting. When asked if he's started prep for how he's going to play Dumbledore, Lithgow said, "Not a lot, but he's certainly an Englishman." The actor revealed he...

Donald Trump’s first joint address to Congress of his second term set a record for longest address in modern history on Tuesday. So on Wednesday night, Seth Meyers recommended some movies that would fill that same amount of time.

Usually, the NBC host encourages viewers to remember that he hosts a comedy show, so no one should be getting their news solely from him. But after Trump’s speech, Meyers kicked off his “A Closer Look” segment by walking that back indefinitely.

“All I can say is, from now on, you can get your news from me. Don’t put yourself through this s–t anymore,” he said. “When there’s a big old, dumb speech like this, instead of watching, just do other things. Reconnect with family, watch ‘Severance’ or just go to bed early and dream sweet dreams about simpler times when you didn’t need to...

Spoiler Alert: Details follow for Season 13, Episode 4 of “The Masked Singer,” “Voices of Olympus: Unmasking of the Gods,” which aired March 5 on Fox.

“Vanderpump Rules” star Scheana Shay was the latest celebrity to be revealed Wednesday on Fox’s hit music competition series “The Masked Singer.” Shay was unmasked as the Bat, during the show’s “Voices of Olympus: Unmasking of the Gods” themed night.

For Bat, no one got it right — although everyone was in the reality TV arena. Robin Thicke said Bethanny Frankel. Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg went with Larsa Pippen. Rita Ora named Heidi Montag at first, then went with Frankel as well. Ken Jeong thought it was Lisa Rinna.

Shay sang “Espresso,” by Sabrina Carpenter, for her performance. “I’m becoming Bat because I’m a creature of the night, and a bit of a bat-ass,” she said in her clue package. “Like bats, I’m one of the most misunderstood creatures ever.

It seems that even Donkey is questioning the recent “Shrek 5” teaser that was released last week. The character was recorded during a meet-and-greet at the Universal Orlando Resort, where he discussed his opinions on the polarizing trailer and even admitted that he looked “homeless” in the video.

The video came from @epicfamilyquests on TikTok.

@epicfamilyquests Donkey is not happy with the new Shrek trailer ⠀ ⠀ What are your thoughts on the new trailer??⠀ ⠀ Full meet coming to Yt. We talked about dragons too. ⠀ ⠀ #shrek #shrek5 #dreamworks #dreamworksanimation #dreamworksland #universalorlando ♬ original sound – Candace

Here is what Donkey said,

Talking to the Fiona character actress in the park Donkey started by saying “Even though your husband refused to come out…..he was embarrassed he doesn’t want to get questions about the new trailer.”

Then he asks, “Fiona” “How old are your children again?”

To which Fiona responds, “Honestly, I don’t remember anymore.

Quick LinksShrek Has Always Satirized Popular CultureThe Animation of Shrek 5 Is Better Than Fans ThinkZendaya's Casting in Shrek 5 Is Promising

Shrek 5 broke the internet when Dreamworks Animation announced it in July 2024. Releasing on December 23, 2026, the film will reunite Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Cody Cameron as Shrek, Donkey, Fiona, and Pinocchio respectively. Shrek 5 is set to be one of the biggest animated cinematic endeavors of 2026, with the Shrekfranchise having amassed a huge fan base since the first film's release on June 29, 2001. DreamWorks' fantasy saga has proven so successful that there have been multiple video games, stage musicals, and theme park attractions based on the ogre and his friends.

This means a lot is riding on Shrek 5's potential success and despite Shrek 5 being in experienced hands, the franchise's fans have voiced serious concerns regarding the sequel's direction. DreamWorks Animation showcased a short...

DreamWorks has earned quite a reputation for crafting quality stories that engage all ages. From Shrek to How to Train Your Dragon, the studio has many well-known franchises in its catalog. Kung Fu Pandais among the most recognizable, and DreamWorks has found no shortage of creative inspiration for sequels and spin-offs. Po's story might have started as an inspirational underdog looking to become a warrior, but it has since evolved as the threat of his enemies has grown and his roster of allies has strengthened. The Kung Fu Panda series is a fantastic way to introduce someone to DreamWorks for its narratives, moving character arcs, and gorgeous animation.

While the films in the Kung Fu Panda franchise are the main event, there is plenty of additional spin-off material to take into account. This guide will break down the order of each piece of Kung Fu Panda content while giving some...

When Shrek 5 was first announced, the fan base went absolutely wild at the prospect of the beloved green ogre returning to our screens one more time. But when the first teaser for Shrek 5 was revealed, all of that optimism quickly shifted to horror. Shrek, Fiona, their daughter Felicia, Donkey, and Pinocchio have all been redesigned with "upgraded" animation, and fans have rallied against the new look, questioning why DreamWorks felt the need to alter the already beloved designs. And now Sonic the Hedgehog is joining the chorus on social media with a post targeting the newly redesigned Shrek.

One studio that knows a thing or two about fan backlash to character designs is Paramount, which altered the look of Sonic the Hedgehog's eponymous hero after fans fought against the initial "realistic" design, swapping it for something more video-game accurate. Now, with Shrek 5 on the chopping block,...

DreamWorks Animation has recently given fans their first look at Shrek 5, and the beloved characters have a brand-new look. The highly anticipated movie, set to release in 2026, is the seventh film in the Shrek franchise and comes more than 15 years after Shrek Forever After.

The teaser trailer confirms that Shrek 5 will have a different animation style. The new visuals are more detailed and realistic compared to the previous movies. Since the last Shrek film in 2010, animation technology has improved, and DreamWorks is updating the franchise to match modern standards.

The trailer features Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and their daughter Felicia (voiced by Zendaya) standing in front of the Magic Mirror. Donkey asks who the fairest of them all is, and the Mirror jokingly responds, “Shrek, of course,” before showing funny internet memes of the green ogre.

One meme is a muscular version of Shrek, which grosses out Felicia but impresses Fiona.

Zendaya is set to have a busy 2025 as she is packed with projects. The actress is officially cast in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming mythic action epic The Odyssey and it is likely she will reprise her role as Michelle Jones in the upcoming MCU film Spider-Man 4. If things go well, she might also be returning for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Messiah.

However, she is currently filming for the long-awaited season 3 of Euphoria, which finally began production after several delays. The actress had previously confirmed that the latest season would see a time jump and follow the characters outside of high school. However, the latest stills from production indicate otherwise.

Zendaya’s look for Euphoria season 3 does not indicate a time jump Zendaya in Euphoria | Credits: HBO

Zendaya is back as Rue in the upcoming season of Euphoria. The show underwent several hurdles before being brought back to the slate recently.

John Lithgow may be about to take on the role of his life as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV series, but before that he has made himself into an internet meme that could well become his true legacy.

In the opening monologue of the 2025 Academy Awards, host Conan O’Brien took aim at several members of the audience, but when he turned his attention to Lithgow, it was to promise viewers that if anyone’s speeches drawled on for too long, then they would cut to the acclaimed actor showing his “slightly disappointed” face. If there was ever anything destined to become an instant meme, then the image below is it. Expect to see this shot, and other similar ones, turning up on a frequent basis in the future.

ABC

For those who missed the moment in all its glory, then it can be seen in the post shared on X below.

In a big win that underscored the growing prominence of indepedent animation, Gints Zibalodis’ “Flow,” the moving dialog-free tale of a solitary cat’s journey as it learns to survive after a great flood – that was made with open-source software Blender for just $3.4 million – won the Academy Award for best animated feature. It was the first nomination and first win for Latvia; “Flow” is also nominated for best animated feature.

“I’m really moved by the warm reception our film has had, and I hope that you’ll open doors to independent animation filmmakers around the world,” Zibalodis said, accepting the award. “This is the first time a film from Latvia has ever been nominated. So it really means a lot to us and we hope to be back soon.” With a nod to the film’s themes, he concluded, “We’re all in the same boat and we must...

Before the 2001 film year, it had always been a subject of debate in years prior as to whether the Academy Awards should create a category for animated features. That finally came to fruition with an uptick in the amount of animated movies that were released annually. Prior to the category being established, several animated films would occasionally win special prizes. Such films included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 (for which Walt Disney received a normal-sized Oscar and seven miniature ones), Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988 and Toy Story in 1995. Beauty and the Beast also managed a major feat in 1991 when it became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, eventually losing to The Silence of Lambs.

Tour our photo gallery below to see every Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature, from Shrek to the most recent.

Updated: March 2, 2025...

After 14 years of waiting, Dreamworks is returning to its seminal and most beloved franchise, Shrek. The series has come quite a long way over the years, initially adapted from a niche children’s book (and changing most of the details). From there, it blossomed into one of the most successful animated franchises of all time. Spawning four sequels, a Christmas special, and even a Broadway musical, Shrek has certainly had a happily ever after. Now, everyone’s favorite ogre is set to return to the big screen with Shrek 5. While there’s plenty to be excited about, such as returning cast members Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy, as well as the addition of Zendaya as Shrek's teen daughter, Dreamworks' recent teaser trailer has raised quite a few eyebrows due to the jarring change in animation. And while these criticisms aren't necessarily unwarranted, the shift in design is...

Sonic the Hedgehog's movie team has chimed in on Shrek 5's controversial character redesigns. A recently released teaser video showing Shrek's new look has drawn backlash from fans of the franchise.

The Sonic movies were infamously slammed by audiences, with the titular character's original design from the studio intended to be much more realistic and humanlike than his stylized cartoon counterpart. Eventually, the studio went back and completely redesigned the character after facing significant complaints from audiences ahead of the film's release. With Shrek 5's recent redesigns facing similar backlash, the Sonic movie team has given their own thoughts in a new TikTok video.

RelatedMattel Unveils Live-Action Snow White Dolls for Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot

Rachel Zegler's Snow White and Gal Gadot's Evil Queen get their official Mattel dolls debuted.

"For any green ogres looking for advice," the video says over top of footage of Sonic's...

Antonio Banderas and Karl Urban's 2017 action/thriller movie, Acts of Vengeance, is now streaming for free. The film is available on Tubi.

Acts of Vengeance was directed by Isaac Florentine and stars Banderas as Frank Valera, a lawyer who goes on a mission to avenge the death of his wife and daughter. Frank soon takes a vow of silence, which will not be broken until he finds who killed his family and gets his vengeance. The film also features Karl Urban as Officer Hank Strode, a Pittsburgh Police officer who rescues Frank early in the film. Paz Vega and Cristina Serafini also have supporting roles in the film.

RelatedDarren Aronofsky's Oscar-Nominated Wrestling Drama With 99% Rt Score Gets New Streaming Home

Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei were both nominated for acting Oscars for their roles in the acclaimed Darren Aronofsky flm.

Acts of Vengeance was released in select theaters worldwide...

The Shrekfranchise has had a hold on pop culture for over two decades since the release of the first film in 2001. The unofficial mascot of DreamWorks, Shrek, has become a figure associated with humor and satire as the film critiques conventional notions of fairy tale stories, mainly poking fun at companies like Disney for its tired tropes. The franchise currently has four main films and two spinoff films centering around the secondary character, Puss in Boots.

With the release of Shrek Forever After in 2010, many thought that this would be the end of the main series. Once talks started to emerge that a fifth film was in development, fans wondered where the series could go next with the main cast of characters. On February 27, 2025, an official casting announcement was released on Universal Pictures's YouTube channel. The 27-second clip features five characters who appeared in the preceding films and a...

The release of a very short teaser for Shrek 5 caused chaos online last week, with some fans being very vocal in calling out the movie’s new animation style. It has been fifteen years since the Shrek franchise released a new movie and in that time a lot has changed when it comes to the accepted aesthetics of animation. However, one TikTokker has decided that the new footage needed to be “fixed”, and they have done just that in a new viral video.

The Shrek franchise is one of the most successful animated franchises in history, and the news of a new installment sparked a flurry of excitement last year. With franchise veterans Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy being joined by Euphoria and Spider-Man star Zendaya, everything seemed set to bring Shrek back to cinemas in a big way. Until the new teaser was released, and it...

We all have that one movie we watch way too often, the one where we can recite every line, mimic every character’s voice, and even hum the background music like it’s our personal anthem. For some, it’s The Godfather. For others, it’s Mean Girls. But for Zendaya? It’s Shrek.

Yes, Shrek. The actress, fashion icon, and all-around superstar once confessed on Twitter back in 2017 that she watched Shrek way too often in her adulthood. And honestly, can we blame her? Shrek is a cinematic masterpiece that has blessed us with top-tier humor, unforgettable one-liners, and, of course, the smooth-talking, waffle-loving Donkey.

A still of Shrek 5 | Credits: DreamWorks

Whether it’s the layers-of-an-onion metaphor or the inexplicably catchy All Star by Smash Mouth, Shrek has remained a cultural phenomenon. So, Zendaya’s obsession? Completely valid.

In fact, it’s kind of endearing to think of one...

Quick LinksDisney’s Enchanted Was Originally an R-Rated ScriptDisney Originally Didn’t Want to Cast Amy Adams in EnchantedDisney’s Disenchanted Might Be Better Than the Original

When Enchanted premiered in 2007, it was a totally different climate for Disney. The animation industry was in the middle of a major change from traditional hand-drawn techniques to computer-generated imagery. DreamWorks' Shrek franchise was turning the fairy tale genre on its head to great success. And Disney chose to release their first hybrid live-action and animated film since Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1998). The film headlined some of the biggest stars of the time, including Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon, and Idina Menzel and showcased a relatively green Amy Adams.

Enchanted sat in development at Disney for almost ten years. And what began as a film potentially capitalizing on modern audiences' disillusionment with fairy tales became a nod and homage to the genre. What resulted...

A fan theory about Shrek 5's plot teases quite a shocking and sad fate for Shrek and Fiona's children.

Confirmed to bring back many of the cast members from past movies, the untitled fifth Shrek film will be the franchise's first effort since 2011's Shrek Forever After. Behind Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz's iconic ogres and Eddie Murphy's fan-favorite Donkey, anticipation is high to see what the story has left in the tank.

After the last movie took a look at an alternate reality in which Shrek and Fiona never got together, fans can now expect to move much further along in the two main characters' lives in Shrek 5. However, things may not all be all sunshine and roses for the iconic animated family next time around.

Read full article on The Direct.

This is not my beautiful swamp, this is not my beautiful ogre.

Fifteen years after Shrek superfans last saw their favorite belching, grumbling, green-skinned god on the big screen, we finally have a sneak peek at the next Shrek film following 2010’s underwhelming Shrek Forever After. Shrek 5, which DreamWorks and Universal plan to release in December of 2026, will take fans into the future of Far Far Away and show Shrek as an aged family man with superstar Zendaya playing one of his teenage daughters.

While it may seem a little premature for a distributor to start releasing teasers for a movie that’s ostensibly aimed at children nearly two full years before its release, Shrek 5’s distant release date is a blessing in disguise if you ask the #NotMyShrek movement that instantly assembled following the release of the clip below:

Notwithstanding the fact that the horny, depraved, disturbing...

Zendaya has been cast as the voice of Shrek’s daughter, Felicia in the upcoming fifth offering of animation ‘Shrek.’

Zendaya joins the returning cast of Mick Myers as Shrek, Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona and Eddie Murphy as Donkey.

Universal Pictures announced the casting with a short clip on social platforms.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DreamWorks Shrek (@shrek)

Also in news – Legendary actor Gene Hackman dies

Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon also return to the franchise taking directing duties. Dohrn worked on the second and third ‘Shrek’ movies as a writer and artist and ‘Shrek 4’ as head of story and voice of Rumpelstiltskin. Vernon directed “Shrek 2” and voices Gingerbread Man.

The fifth instalment of the ‘Shrek’ franchise is set to be released in theatres on December 23, 2026, marking 25 years since the original film debuted.

The original film which centres a misunderstood ogre and fairytale characters,...

A fifth Shrek film has been officially in the works. It’s set for a December 2026 release date (around the 25th anniversary of the original film) , with original cast members Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy all confirmed. Murphy himself, in the press lead-up to Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, revealed that some recording had already been done for the film and that his character, Donkey, is set for his own spinoff movie. Yesterday, it was announced that Zendaya will be joining in on the next storybook adventure as she’s been cast as Shrek and Fiona’s daughter.

The studio revealed the news in an announcement teaser trailer that showed all the regular principal characters returning, as well as the addition of Zendaya’s character. Just like the Toy Story movies have evolved, many will notice that the animation in the new trailer has been updated with more modern effects.

Despicable Me is already the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time based on its box office gross. Now, the series is also establishing its streaming dominance.

The franchise, which debuted in 2010, has since seen Gru's Minions branch out with their own films. With movies in the original series and two Minion-led spinoffs, the franchise has been a major hit, passing the four Shrek films and its two Puss in Boots spinoffs at the box office. Per Tudum, Despicable Me also beat Shrek on streaming, taking over the charts globally for the week between Feb. 17 and 23.

RelatedShrek 5 Casts Zendaya in Major Role

DreamWorks Animation announces the main voice cast for Shrek 5 and it includes Zendaya in a major role.

Just recently, the DreamWorks Adaptations Shrek franchise took over streaming with several installments ahead of the highly anticipated Shrek 5. The first three films stayed in the global charts for two weeks.

Picture: The Super Mario Bros Movie – Illumination Studios

It’s a busy end to February on Netflix UK with 45 new additions to the library this week, including Illumination’s Super Mario Bros movie, Kate Hudson’s new Netflix comedy Running Point, and every episode of the first season of Pokemon Horizons.

First of all, here are the week’s highlights:

The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023)

Director: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

Genre: Animated, Action, Adventure | Runtime: 92 Minutes

Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key

Illumination Studios greatly adapted one of the world’s most iconic and beloved video games. With plenty of action and easter eggs galore, it’s one to watch with all the family this weekend.

Mario and Luigi, the plumber duo from Brooklyn, are transported to the Mushroom Kingdom, where they find themselves in a conflict between the mushroom princess, Peach, and the tyrannical fire-breathing turtle Bowser,...

Which Role Is Zendaya Playing In Cameron Diaz & Eddie Murphy’s Shrek 5?(Photo Credit – YouTube)

The much-awaited first look of Shrek 5 is here, and the franchise has added a popular name to its roster. Zendaya is now officially a part of the universe, and fans cannot wait to see her do justice to her voice role in the animated film. The fantasy comedy is more than a year away, but it has created a buzz.

Now that the Dune actress has joined, the world of Shrek has gotten even bigger and better, with lots more people tuning in. Here’s what we know about the first-look teaser and how the fans reacted to the video, including the announcement that Zendaya officially joined the movie series.

First Look Features Zendaya Joining Cameron Diaz & Eddie Murphy Starrer Shrek 5

Universal Pictures recently unveiled a short clip confirming Zendaya‘s presence and role in the film.

Zendaya has been cast in 'Shrek 5'.The 28-year-old actress will join Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz in the fifth instalment of the Dreamworks animation franchise, and will voice the role of the titular ogre's daughter.Her casting was confirmed via a new trailer that was released online on Thursday (27.02.25).'Shrek' was first released in 2001 and followed the story of an ogre who falls in love with Princess Fiona (Diaz) before a sequel arrived in 2004.'Shrek the Third' revealed that Fiona - now married to Shrek - was pregnant, and the latest major instalment 'Shrek Forever After' was released in 2010.The films are based on the picture book 'Shrek!' by William Steig, and the first film in the series opened as a Broadway musical in 2008 before running in London's West End for just over two years.'Shrek 5' is slated for release on December 23 2026 and...

The world of Shrek may have last released an installment almost a decade and a half ago, but it is barely done yet. This is because the franchise is all set to return to the screens as it prepares to deliver yet another entertaining installment to fans soon. This installment — Shrek 5 — reportedly has earned itself a star-studded cast, too.

Shrek 5. | Credits: Universal Pictures.

According to the latest announcements, besides the original leads returning to the saga to once again voice the fan-favorite characters, Hollywood hotshot Zendaya is among the other names to debut in the swamp near the Far Far Away kingdom. Not to mention, Cameron Diaz will also be making her return through the same.

The full cast of Shrek 5 includes Zendaya, Cameron Diaz Zendaya. | Credits: Euphoria / HBO.

While not a lot of details have been released about this forthcoming fifth installment in the film series as of yet,...

DreamWorks finally released the teaser for Shrek 5, and well, let’s just say that fans have some opinions, starting off with the new animation style. It has been fifteen years since the last Shrek film was released. It goes without saying that things have changed since then in terms of how the animation industry works. With new technology, movies don’t really have to look like what they used to decades ago.

Shrek 5 (2026) | Credits: DreamWorks Animation

Unfortunately, it looks like fans are not too happy with how the animation style has changed for Shrek 5 since Shrek Forever After (2010). Throwing it back to the time when people basically bullied Paramount into changing how Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) looked, fans are hoping DreamWorks will hear their pleas too.

Fans react to the new Shrek 5 teaser A still from Shrek 5‘s teaser | Credits: DreamWorks Animation

“Far, Far Away’s finest are coming.

A first look at Shrek 5 hit the internet, exciting fans for its eventual release, but also concerning many over some stark animation changes.

After originally planning a five-film Shrek arc, DreamWorks Animation decided to conclude the series with Shrek Forever After in 2010. However, discussions about a fifth film resurfaced in 2014, and after NBCUniversal acquired DreamWorks in 2016, development slowly progressed.

In 2023, Illumination's Chris Meledandri confirmed Shrek 5 was officially in development, with the original cast of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz returning after stepping away from acting. A recent first look at the updated animation style debuted Zendaya's voice as Shrek and Fiona's daughter, marking a fresh direction with a new (divisive) look.

Read full article on The Direct.

Shrek fans were celebrating when it was announced that a fifth installment was finally on the way, but having been given a quick glimpse at what they can expect from the new movie, they have already picked fault with one aspect of the new film. As Dreamworks shared the first look at Shrek 5 with an official casting video announcement, there is something slightly different about everyone’s favorite ogre that has riled a lot of people to the point that some have urged Dreamworks to just cancel the belated sequel now.

Though that may seem dramatic for such a small piece of footage to cause this level of backlash, it only takes a minor change to a tried-and-tested formula to send fans into meltdown mode. In this case, it is a slight change in the animation style that fans are not happy about. Some have even suggested that a...

"Who's making this stuff?" Good question - because wow this looks awful. DreamWorks Animation debuted a tiny 20 second teaser announcing Shrek 5, a new sequel in the Shrek franchise. This will be released a full 16 years after Shrek Forever After, the fourth movie that opened back in 2010. There hasn't been any other continuation since, unless you count the recent Puss in Boots movies or Shrek on Ice (for real) or whatever random brand concepts they've cooked up. Shrek 5 is the fifth movie in this popular animation series, which began in 2001. The original voice cast returns - Cameron Diaz as Fiona, Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey. With the addition of Zendaya voicing Felicia, Shrek & Fiona's not-so-young-anymore daughter. It's set for release on Christmas Day in December 2026 more than a year from now, after being pushed back from its original July 2026 date. This teaser footage shows that they've...

Shrek is arguably one of the greatest animated franchises ever made, with fans loving the adaptation of the classic children’s picture book by William Steig. In the franchise, actor Eddie Murphy voices the iconic sidekick Donkey. In an interview, Murphy admitted that Donkey is one of the most hilarious characters in the series.

Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop (Credit: Paramount Pictures).

As a result, the comedian-actor felt that Donkey was more deserving of a solo spin-off movie compared to the likes of Puss in Boots. Since the latter has already appeared in two solo movies, Murphy made a strong case for a Donkey spin-off. Here is what Murphy had to say about his only condition for a Donkey spin-off after Shrek 5.

Eddie Murphy reveals his only condition for a Donkey spin-off after Shrek 5

Actor Eddie Murphy is best known for his breakout role as Detective Axel...

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation has released the first teaser for the highly anticipated Shrek 5, confirming the returns of Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Fiona - as well as confirming that  Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home; Dune: Part Two; Challengers) has indeed joined the voice cast as Shrek and Fiona's daughter Felicia.

Plot details remain under wraps for now and there's also no word on who's going to be lending their voices to her siblings Fergus and Farkle.

Franchise veterans Walt Dohrn (Trolls; Trolls World Tour; Trolls Band Together) and Conrad Vernon (Monsters vs. Aliens; Sausage Party; The Addams Family) have been tapped to direct, with Brad Ableson (Minions: The Rise of Gru) serving as co-director, while Michael McCullers (Austin Powers in Goldmember; Baby Mama; The Boss Baby) penned the script. 

This will be the first installment in the main franchise in sixteen years,...

It has been years since fans took a trip to the swamp. The last Shrek movie hit theatres back in 2010. The world used to be different then. But while everything has changed, the love for the green ogre hasn’t. The animated franchise continues to rule fans’ hearts.

No wonder Universal Pictures would have hoped that its 5th installment would bring the old magic back. Alas! The teaser hasn’t generated positive responses from the fans – and Zendaya might be one of the reasons.

Shrek 5 is here (the old hype isn’t though) Shrek 5 will be out next year || Universal Pictures

Shrek 5‘s teaser has been nothing short of a bombshell. What many would have expected to be one of the best films of the coming year has already attracted fans’ ire.

Releasing 16 years after Shrek Forever After, the animated flick was bound to have some departures from its prequel.