A fifth film in the “Shrek” franchise has been stuck in limbo for years, but the recent critical and solid commercial success of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” has renewed interest in the project over a decade after the fourth film hit cinemas.
Could it be happening? Several years ago “Austin Powers” sequels scribe Michael McCullers came up with an idea and revealed he had completed a script for the film that boasts what he dubs a “pretty big reinvention” of the series. However, there’s been no word since then until the chatter again following the release of the ‘Puss’ follow-up.
This week Eddie Murphy, who has been in a sequel mood in recent years with “Coming 2 America” and filming a fourth “Beverly Hills Cop” throughout the last few months of 2022, has weighed in.
Sitting down with eTalk, was asked if he’d be open to reprising his iconic role of Donkey in another “Shrek” film to which he says:
“Oh, I’d absolutely be open. If they ever came to me with another Shrek, I’d do it in two seconds. I love Donkey.”
Both his onscreen co-star Mike Myers and Puss in Boots star Antonio Banderas have also expressed a desire in the past year to return for more Shrek, but Murphy took the opportunity to throw a little dig at the success of Banderas’ franchise:
“You know they did Puss in Boots movies, and I was like: ‘They should have done a Donkey movie. Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots.’ I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t funnier than Donkey.”
The group’s co-star Cameron Diaz recently un-retired and has returned to acting, though hasn’t discussed “Shrek 5”. Still, it feels like a fifth one is more a question of when than if at this point.
