Eddie Murphy to lead Shrek spin-off animation Donkey!

Donkey is stepping out of Shrek's shadow after DreamWorks confirmed the wisecracking sidekick will lead his own standalone film, with Eddie Murphy returning to voice the fan-favourite character in an origin story due in cinemas in 2028.

Animated feature Donkey! is scheduled for release in 2028 and will explore how the talkative companion first became the character audiences met in the original Shrek.

The announcement comes a year after the planned release of Shrek 5, which is due to arrive in cinemas in summer 2027, reuniting Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz as Donkey, Shrek and Princess Fiona.

Zendaya has also joined the cast of the long-awaited sequel, marking the latest expansion of one of animation's most commercially successful franchises.

Universal and DreamWorks confirmed Donkey! would be directed by Charlie Bean, whose previous credits include The Lego Batman Movie and the live-action Lady and the Tramp.

Rebecca Huntley, who produced Kung Fu Panda 4 and The Bad Guys, will serve as producer, while DreamWorks story artist Matt Flynn will co-direct the film.

The project will serve as an origin story exploring how an ordinary donkey became the endlessly optimistic companion whose rapid-fire humour helped define the Shrek series.

Before Donkey takes centre stage, audiences will return to the kingdom of Far Far Away in Shrek 5.

Franchise veterans Conrad Vernon and Walt Dohrn are directing the sequel, with Murphy, Myers and Diaz reprising the roles they first played more than two decades ago.

Antonio Banderas, who played Puss in Boots in the Shrek sequels, has not been named for the fifth instalment.