Shrek 5 Teaser Trailer is Here, Leaving Two-Thirds of Viewers Disappointed

If half a year ago, in early September 2024, you had told me that teaser trailers for A Minecraft Movie and Shrek 5 would drop on the same day and that it would be the latter causing the community's blood to boil in anger, not the former, I would have laughed in your face. But here we are, six months later, with a newly revealed Shrek 5 cast announcement that, despite being Shrek of all things, has managed to disappoint nearly two-thirds of those who watched it.

Announcing Zendaya's addition to the cast as the voice of an all-grown-up Felicia, Shrek and Fiona's daughter, the trailer became the topic of the day not for its main reveal but for the updated 3D models of some beloved characters from the original quadrilogy.

While the models do look better from the technical standpoint, with greater detail, impeccable grooming of Donkey's fur, and positively hilarious "gigachad" Magic Mirror with a jaw as square as SpongeBob's pants, many found the new designs a bit off, to put it as mildly as I can, teetering on the edge of the infamous Uncanny Valley with how similar they are to the originals, yet different in such subtle ways that it may be difficult for some not to feel unsettled by them.

Adding to this boiling pot of swamp stew is the trailer's attempt to capitalize on Shrek's status as an undying meme with sterile, corporate-approved examples of Shrek trashposting – something internet culture rarely appreciates.

On top of that, the very fact that Gen Z, the generation that grew up watching and rewatching the Shrek movies, has now come of age and become the largest group of internet users by generation plays a major role. For many of them, Shrek is not just a franchise – it's a part of their childhood, a holy relic in their generation's temple, Shrek is love.., so changing the art style of its namesake character, his wife, and his best friend was anything but welcome.

As a result, the trailer currently sits at a 1-to-2 like-to-dislike ratio, with comments on social media (the trailer's comments on YouTube are, of course, disabled) packed with criticism, memes mocking the new designs, and calls for DreamWorks to "do the Sonic" and redesign the characters before the movie releases in December 2026.

So, what do you think about Shrek's new character models? Is it an upgrade or a downgrade? Is the outrage justified? Tell us in the comments!

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