'Shrek 5' Takes Aim At 'Star Wars 7'

Universal is moving DreamWorks's surefire smash sequel from summer to Christmas, mimicking Disney's similar move for 'The Force Awakens' as it aimed to topple 'Avatar'

Universal has announced that Shrek 5 will open not over the July 4 weekend of 2026 but on Christmas weekend, 2026. They have shifted Minions 3 up a year, slating it for July 1, 2026, instead of June 30, 2027. While I don’t know what “Untitled Illumination Event Film” was supposed to open on March 19, 2027 – fingers crossed for an animated remake of The Snowman – it’s now set for June 30, 2027. So, no, Comcast isn’t giving up its unofficial domination of Independence Day weekend (The Forever Purge and Boss Baby: Family Business in 2021, Minions: The Rise of Gru in 2022, Despicable Me 4 in 2024, Jurassic World: Rebirth in 2025, etc.) anytime soon.

Why shift Shrek 5 from July to late December? The same reason that Disney shifted Star Wars: Episode VII from May 2015 to December 20, 2015. They are coming for the crown. In this case, the “crown” is the unadjusted $936 million domestic total of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.