How can you not love Shrek? The friendly green ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) has become a pop-culture phenomenon, with fans eagerly anticipating the fifth installment in the franchise — which releases in July 2026. But it’s not just internet obsessives who proclaim that “Shrek is Love, Shrek is Life,” as A-list actor Al Pacino recently revealed his love for the ogre in the most unexpected fashion. During an interview with the BBC to promote his new book, Sonny Boy: A Memoir, Pacino pulled out his phone to reveal a plastic case smothered with a Shrek collage.
“Who would be expecting
Shrek
? Who? It’s mine,” the actor said.
The moment caught everyone, including the journalist, off-guard. After regaining his composure, the interviewer asked Pacino, “Can you explain why you Shrek it?” (which might be the greatest question ever asked by a journalist). Much to everyone’s further surprise, the Scarface star’s answer was quite wholesome. Pacino revealed that his youngest daughter asked to see his phone before the interview, taking it off to her room. When she returned, he found his phone covered with pictures of the internet’s favorite ogre. He explained:
“My youngest daughter said, ‘Can I have your phone dad?’ So I gave her my phone and she came back, and she had this on it. She said, ‘It’s Shrek dad!’ I said ‘Shrek? Wow. Okay babe, I’ll hold onto it.'”
Shrek 5 Is Finally Happening!
After years of anticipation, rumors, and false reports, fans finally received the news they’d been waiting for when DreamWorks announced that Shrek 5 is officially in the works. Some were disheartened by the long wait for the project, with the fifth installment hitting theaters in July 2026. However, the majority of the fan base was glad to have their prayers answered. The announcement also confirmed that Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy (Donkey), and Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona) will all be reprising their roles for the fifth feature-length installment.
Related
8 Big Differences Between Shrek the Movie and the Book
The famous ogre and his animated adventures all started with a William Steig book, which as some key differences from the popular film series.
Shrek was released in 2001 and, hilariously, the film was viewed as a punishment project, as underperforming animators at DreamWorks were sent to work on the fantasy/comedy. If that wasn’t funny enough, being sent to animate the green ogre was known within the company as being “Shreked.” Shrek quickly became a box office hit in 2001, earning $267.7 million domestically, and was the fourth highest grossing movie of the year.
Shrek 2 came three years later, with some arguing that it overshadows the original in terms of quality. Shrek the Third couldn’t quite stick the landing for the trilogy upon its release in 2007. Despite being a box office hit, the threequel received mixed reviews, with many assuming it had killed any chances of a fourth installment. But the internet’s love of Shrek was too strong, and Shrek Forever After was released in 2010. The fourth installment shared a similar fate to its predecessor, garnering mixed reviews but performing strongly at the box office.
Shrek 5
is scheduled to be released in theaters in the United States on July 1, 2026.
- Release Date
- May 18, 2001
- Runtime
- 90 minutes