Internet unhappy with ‘Shrek 5’ animation: ‘Straight up disrespectful to the original art style’

Welcome to the swamp, Zendaya! The 28-year-old actress has officially been cast as Shrek and Fiona’s daughter, Felicia, in the fifth instalment of the Shrek franchise. With a 2026 release, it seems that the year will be a busy one for the star, with other projects lined up for release like Dune Messiah, Spider-Man 4, The Odyssey, and also the long-awaited Euphoria season 3.

While the internet has embraced the new addition, the same cannot be said for the animation style. Fans were quick to notice artistic changes in the characters, a fresher animation style that did not sit well with many. One fan reacted:

Meanwhile, other fans seem divided: 

Fans of the green ogre are still hopeful that a change could be underway if they were to put pressure on the studio to change the animation and VFX, much like the 2019 debacle surrounding Sonic the Hedgehog. In April of that year, Paramount Studios released a first look of the film and fans were not shy to bash the way Sonic was animated, prompting the director Jeff Fowler and the production team to redesign the beloved video game character and push the release date by three months, from November 2019 to February 2020. 

On the flip side, other fans of the franchise have supported the change, arguing that the characters have grown up and the update was long overdue.  

And while both sides have voiced their opinion, some netizens are struggling to play ‘spot the difference’.

Shrek 5 is set to release on December 23, 2026.