Predicted to have the biggest Oscars sweep since The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Shrek 5 is what some critics may perceive as ‘Oscar-bait’. However, the film has garnered the support of various populations unlike other awarded films. Presently, the lgbtq+ community, Mexicans, and drug cartel kingpins have voiced their support for Shrek 5 over double Oscar winner Emilia Perez, despite Shrek 5 not yet being released. Pre-release buzz has taken over social media such as Instagram, Truth Social, and LinkedIn since the film’s announcement on 27 February 2025.
Speculation regarding awards season continues to swirl in both the public and critical landscapes.
Theories have circulated as to what the plot entails. Zendaya’s casting may hint at a potential plot line of an extraterrestrial war amongst royals for precious resources, or delve into polyamorous tennis playing that definitely didn’t have enough gay scenes? Additionally, given the short preview, the magic mirror may explore a B plot outlining the trials and tribulations of buccal fat removal and jaw implants.
Having been filmed outside Barnes Hall in 2024, Shrek 5 will quote, “Have the most authentic swamp feel in cinema history” (Walt Dohrn, 2025). The waft of asbestos from abandoned accommodations adds to the effect of Far Far Away’s economic crash of 2018. As canonically nearby fracking has polluted the swamp, Keele’s lake provides the filmmakers with the appropriate look and feel to portray the tragic decline to its audience.
Presently, the film is set to release on 18th December 2026. 2026 is predicted by many scientists and experts in the field to be a ‘boiling point’ for climate change, with pollution, deforestation, and food insecurity being major worldwide issues. Lord Farquad is also set to return to the big screen. The writers have announced his plot line will focus on his “greed” frequently firing his courtiers for his own financial gain, leading to an uprising of his subjects. Therefore, present-day Newcastle-under-Lyme was “ideal,” said the directors.
Shrek 5 is the most anticipated movie of the next couple of years. Studios are advised to put their films on hold until 2027 so they may have a chance at receiving recognition in comparison, from the public and critics.
One critic who was given the privilege of a pre-screening declared Shrek 5 to be “one of the most compelling socio-political commentaries of the 2020’s that plays on nostalgia and climate-anxiety.” As a result of this, potentially Shrek 5 may not only be the best film of 2026, but the only film of 2026.
Shrek 5 has left audiences perplexed and enlivened with only 27 seconds of preview footage released so far, resuscitating their favourite childhood characters. Given the sixteen-year gap between films, audiences are left to wonder, will the franchise continue to grow, or will Scotland lower their flag to half-mast?
