Shrek 5 Teaser: The ‘Ugly Sonic’ Controversy Hits Beloved Mike Myers Franchise

After a new cast announcement released by Universal Pictures, the beloved Shrek franchise has pivoted the world’s attention – and not for a very good reason. Despite returning to the screens after 15 years, Shrek 5 could essentially spell the doom of the Mike Myers film series and do some serious damage on the way out.

With Zendaya now joining the Ogre bandwagon alongside the original trio, the fifth instalment of the fantasy comedy IP has a lot of expectations to uphold. But after the brief 25-second clip, Shrek 5 has made the audience clamor, scramble in confusion and despair as Universal puts the fate of the animated franchise at risk.

Shrek 5 animation raises some serious doubt

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks have a rich history with the animated film industry. From franchises like Despicable Me to Oscar-nominated movies like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Wild Robot, there have been countless classics produced by the veteran studio houses.

It comes as a surprise, then, for DreamWorks to flounder at such a crucial turning point in its production history. With the acclaimed Shrek franchise returning to the screens after 15 years, it seemed an easy enough task for the studio to recreate the tale of the anti-social ogre and his extended family. However, not everything went according to plan with the new film, Shrek 5.

With 15 years between the fourth and the fifth instalment, animation has changed drastically since the release of Shrek Forever After in 2010. As such, some variation in the overall look of the film was to be expected. But the shocking changes to the character designs (as seen in some stills from Shrek 5) have caused fans to cry foul.

Shrek 5 faces the ‘Ugly Sonic’ controversy

Ever since advancements by studios like Illumination and DreamWorks, the animation industry has grown and evolved exponentially in merely a decade, beating veteran competitors like Disney and Pixar. Films like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Wild Robot have gained acclaim for their visually dynamic and flawless look.

On the flip side, a recent trend popularly known as Ugly Sonic has gained traction among fans after another beloved animated film series, Sonic the Hedgehog, fumbled its protagonist’s iconic design while adapting the character to live-action. As a result, Sonic became the subject of memes that eventually led to a parody character called Ugly Sonic in a 2022 Disney film.

Now, the Ugly Sonic trend has filtered down into Shrek 5 as well, as Shrek the Ogre gets a remodeled look that fans are finding hard to come to terms with.

Shrek and Donkey have been redesigned for ‘SHREK 5’ pic.twitter.com/z6GU4pyX4L

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 27, 2025

Shrek and Donkey got the Ugly Sonic Treatment y’all 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/WLdnrKaAro

— One Take 🎬 (@OneTakeNews) February 27, 2025

They morphed into croods

— Landyn (@landyn304) February 27, 2025

Are u serious @Dreamworks lol they look like an AI made them in Blender

— Mr Pro Wrestling Fan (@WrestlingAEW24) February 27, 2025

He looks like shit, bring back og shrek

— gazadventures (@DaftHero) February 27, 2025

They are going to ruin a classic 🤦‍♂️

— Nix (@_nixmyth_) February 27, 2025

As criticism grows by the hour, DreamWorks is left to contend with the fact that Shrek 5 might be one of their biggest duds of the decade. With an animated frame that looks AI rendered, fans are staying cautiously optimistic until an actual teaser/trailer drops before further judging Shrek 5 on its character design.

Shrek 5, with a voiceover cast comprising Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and Zendaya, is set to premiere on 23 December 2026.

This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire