DreamWorks Animation is reportedly expanding its popular Shrek franchise with a new feature film based on the iconic ogre’s sidekick Donkey. 

The 24-year-old film franchise has collectively earned more than US$4 billion at the global box office, according to The Numbers. DreamWorks has already spun it off with two films focused on the feisty feline Puss in Boots (whose films starring Antonio Banderas have earned more than US$1 billion collectively), and now it’s trying that same approach with Eddie Murphy’s talking Donkey character. 

It was Murphy who revealed that the new CG-animated feature is in the works in a recent interview with Screenrant. He said he’s set to start recording his lines in September—after wrapping Shrek 5, which comes out in December 2026. The studio plans to release the Donkey film in three years, Murphy said. 

DreamWorks, which has not yet responded to a request for comment, has been on a run with its recent films and new deals. Its latest releases The Wild Robot (US$334 million) and Dog Man (US$145 million) had strong box-office performances. And the upcoming slate looks promising, too, with The Bad Guys 2—a sequel to US$250-million earner The Bad Guys—premiering this weekend (August 1) in the US. There’s also Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie (September 26), and a bit further down the line is the first-ever feature film based on preschool phenom CoComelon.