Because the Shrek franchise is a pastiche of both classic and modern storytelling, the time period in which it takes place is more of a loose suggestion of an era than a strict historical setting.

This is per the doomspeakers over at Deadline, who revealed that Universal has forestalled the birth of the long-gestating Shrek 5, delaying it from a July 2026 release to Christmas of that same year.

Shrek 5, meanwhile, will target the 2026 holiday period for its first mainline release in 16 years. The sequel was originally announced in 2016 but went quiet for years until Chris Meledandri ...