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Universal and DreamWorks set theatrical release for Eddie Murphy’s “Donkey” film in 2028
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jun 25, 2:05 PM EDT

Universal and DreamWorks set theatrical release for Eddie Murphy’s “Donkey” film in 2028

The “Shrek” spinoff, rooted in the story of a donkey, is scheduled to arrive in theaters on Friday, June 30, 2028, with Eddie Murphy returning to the project as the franchise’s loudest returning voice.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation have set a new theatrical release date for “Donkey,” a spinoff connected to the “Shrek” franchise and tied to Eddie Murphy’s role as the character’s popular voice. The companies announced that the film will open in theaters on Friday, June 30, 2028.

The new title and date expand the “Shrek” universe beyond its main storyline, with “Donkey” positioned as an origin story focused on how the donkey character developed before the events associated with the broader franchise. Deadline reported that the project centers on backstory rather than a direct continuation of the existing “Shrek” plotlines.

Deadline said the film’s existence and development were first publicly raised by Murphy during the press tour for “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley.” On that promotional circuit, Murphy discussed the prospect of a “Donkey” movie, giving audiences an early preview that the spinoff was moving forward toward a larger release plan.

This week’s announcement formalizes those earlier comments into a dated studio schedule. The release is set for a specific Friday opening, a common format for major family and animated releases, with Universal Pictures as the film’s theatrical distributor.

For viewers and industry observers, the timing places “Donkey” at a summer slot nearly two years out from the announcement, a window typically associated with higher theater attendance and family viewing. It also indicates that DreamWorks and Universal are continuing to invest in franchise-linked animation projects built around recognizable celebrity casting and established audience familiarity.

While the announcement confirms the release date, it does not provide additional details in the reporting summarized here, such as the rest of the cast, the production’s completion timeline, or whether the project will draw from any specific “Shrek” installment. The next meaningful public step will likely be further casting and creative updates as the film moves closer to production milestones.

The announcement also adds another high-profile animated project to Universal Pictures’ 2028 theatrical planning, reinforcing the studio’s reliance on major-brand entertainment geared toward broad audiences. If the origin-story framing holds, “Donkey” could serve as a foundational entry point for new viewers who have not followed the full “Shrek” arc, while still anchoring the story around the character associated with Murphy’s voice work.

Why It Matters

  • A dated 2028 release gives theater distributors and family-audience planners a clearer timeline for major animated programming.
  • The project underscores continued studio investment in franchise-linked animation using recognizable celebrity performers.
  • An origin story framing suggests the film could be positioned as a character-focused entry point for audiences who are less familiar with earlier franchise installments.
  • The Universal and DreamWorks schedule indicates ongoing appetite for summer theatrical events rather than only streaming-first releases.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation announced a June 30, 2028 theatrical release date for “Donkey.”
  • The film is described as an origin story about the donkey character.
  • Eddie Murphy, known for voicing the character in “Shrek,” is central to the project.
  • Deadline reported that Murphy first discussed the “Donkey” movie idea during the press tour for “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley.”
  • The announcement ties the spinoff’s next step to a scheduled summer 2028 theatrical opening.
Universal and DreamWorks set theatrical release for Eddie Murphy’s “Donkey” film in 2028 | The Apex Times