‘Shrek 5' production, cast, spoilers: ‘Despicable Me’ producer leads movie series reboot

In recent years, there have been sporadic updates about the revival of the "Shrek" animated movie franchise through the release of "Shrek 5." But DreamWorks has gone silent again about the project making some fans worry that the project will not push through.

Technically, the companies attached to the making of "Shrek 5" have not canceled the movie project. This means that it is still okay for fans to keep waiting. But there is also one clear indication that the animated film is still in the pipeline.

'Shrek 5' is still a go, and here's the clue

Last year, it was announced that "Despicable Me" and "Minions" producer Chris Meledandri was assigned to lead the making of "Shrek 5." He is also the CEO of Illumination that is owned by NBCUniversal, just like DreamWorks. That explains how he ended up in charge of the anticipated reboot.

In a profile of Meledandri published by Variety on November 2018, he talked about his vision for "Shrek 5." He admitted to being one of the many fans who just want to have the same cast and characterizations as the first four films. However, he added, “The challenge for us has been to find something that really does feel like it’s not simply yet another film in a series of sequels.”

Meledandri's statements sparked a slew of reports that "Shrek 5" will serve as a franchise reboot. In that case, nothing about the cast and plot may have been finalized at this point.

'Shrek 5' release date: When will the movie arrive?

Back in 2016, "Shrek" main cast member Eddie Murphy confirmed that a script for the fifth movie was already finished at the time. He even told CinemaBlend that "Shrek 5" could be released in 2019 or 2020. But, obviously, the production companies made some changes leading to Meledandri's addition to the "Shrek 5" team as of 2018. So, while the movie is still underway, there is no way of telling at this point when it will premiere.

Aside from "Shrek 5," Meledandri has other major projects at hand. He is also working on an animated movie based on one of the most popular video games ever, "Super Mario Bros.," which is slated to be released in 2022. That might be a hint that “Shrek 5” will arrive much later than expected.