Zendaya has been cast in Shrek 5. The 28-year-old actress will join actors 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 Feb 27.
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 Dec 23, 2026, and will focus on the green-skinned couple raising their teenage triplets in the magical land of Far Far Away.
Walt Dohrn, who previously worked as writer and artist on the second and third movies and was head of story on the fourth, is directing the film, with Brad Ableson as co-director. Gina Shay is returning to produce alongside Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri.
Last year, Murphy confirmed work had started on the film, and that his character Donkey will be getting a spin-off movie. He told movie news outlet Collider: “We started doing Shrek four or five months ago. I recorded the first act, and we’ll be doing it this year. We’ll finish it up.”
