Iconic movie sequel delayed until 2027 after online sleuths 'guessed the plot'

Delays are common in the entertainment industry, as everything from films to games regularly suffer setbacks during production. Still, one recent delay to the latest entry in an iconic movie series might have been caused by an unexpected turn of events.

When looking at the biggest animated films to have been released – especially considering those in the last quarter of a century – it's hard to look past Disney and Pixar's dominance.

From Toy Story to Frozen, the animation juggernaut has remained the king of the industry pretty much since it began. Yet, Disney rival Dreamworks' release of Shrek in 2001 was arguably the first major hit to break the former's dominant streak.

The ogre-led fairy tale proved to be a major success and has spawned four mainline sequels, including a yet-to-be-seen fifth entry. Unfortunately, recent turmoil surrounding the release of Shrek 5 has sparked an unusual social media conversation.

Why do people think Shrek 5 was delayed?

Shrek 5 was initially set to officially release into cinemas on July 1, 2026, but two subsequent delays (the first being to December 23, 2026) have left fans waiting now until June 30, 202, to catch up with the grumpy ogre’s latest antics.

The focus of the new film appears to be surrounding the new family dynamics of the Shreks, as his supposedly teenage daughter, Felicia, is sure to add chaos to the already manic tale.

While it's only natural for films to experience issues with release dates that are projected so far into the future, some movie buffs believe they've worked out the bizarre reason why Shrek 5 has had to be pushed back once again.

"This happened because everyone guessed the plot, so now they have to do the film from scratch, LMAO," writes Antonio Chavez on X in response to news of the delay. Elsewhere, many appear to be on board with this theory.

Everyone appears to source this claim to a TikTok made by @riggsreacts_, who provides a detailed semi-joking breakdown of how he thinks the film's plot will play out, with the caption reading: "Let me guess... She is a rebellish girl, who wants to explore the world, but Shrek being the overprotective dad doesn't let her go. In the end, he will become a better father."

It's a tale as old as time, and it wouldn't be surprising if the film's story beats involved this in some capacity, although there's no confirmation that this is the reason why it has been pushed back for the second time.

Because the delay is only an additional six months, there's little reason to believe that an animated film of this scale would be able to completely change its narrative – likely involving a completely fresh animation process – simply because people guessed the general idea of the plot.

Others have also argued that the film has been delayed "because the animation looks like s*** lol," referencing the stylistic changes to Shrek and Fiona's faces in particular.

"They realized that they messed up real bad with the animation," adds another, and it definitely wouldn't be the first time that an animated film has redone its visual style in response to fan feedback. Do you remember when the first Sonic the Hedgehog completely changed how its titular character looked in a matter of months?