Based on William Steig’s 1990 children’s picture book of the same name, Shrek is one of the most popular and profitable animated film franchises. It was launched in 2001 with the first film, Shrek, which also became the first movie to win an Academy Award in the Best Animated Feature category. At the worldwide box office, it earned $490.9 million against a $60 million budget, delivering an impressive 8.2x earnings-to-budget ratio.
Shrek Franchise – Combined Worldwide Gross & Per Film Average
In addition to the 2001 film, the franchise consists of three sequels – Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010), and two spin-offs – Puss in Boots (2011) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022). As of now, the combined worldwide gross of the Shrek franchise is around $4 billion. This indicates that the average worldwide total per film comes out to be around $666.7 million.
Now, all eyes will be on the next film – Shrek 5, which is slated for a theatrical release in June 2027, and how it performs at the box office. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how much Shrek 5 would need to earn to become the highest-grossing installment in the franchise. First, let’s see how much the first six films earned worldwide.
Shrek Franchise – Box Office Performance (Worldwide)
Here’s how each film in the Shrek franchise performed at the worldwide box office, according to data from Box Office Mojo.
- Shrek (2001): Worldwide Earnings: $490.9 million
- Shrek 2 (2004): Worldwide Earnings: $929.1 million
- Shrek the Third (2007): Worldwide Earnings: $808.3 million
- Shrek Forever After (2010): Worldwide Earnings: $752.6 million
- Puss in Boots (2011): Worldwide Earnings: $555 million
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022): Worldwide Earnings: $480.5 million
What The Numbers Indicate For Shrek 5
From the above figures, it is clear that for Shrek 5 to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise, it must outgross the current top-grossing installment, Shrek 2, which earned $929.1 million worldwide. However, surpassing the $900 million milestone is not an easy target to hit in the current theatrical landscape.
In 2026, only one film, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, has managed to cross the $900 million worldwide mark so far. Having said that, Shrek 5 reaching $929.1 million is still attainable, provided it delivers a strong opening weekend, gets solid support from international markets, and maintains steady weekday and weekend holds for at least 5-6 weeks after its theatrical release. The film’s final box office verdict will be clear only after its release.
Shrek 2 – Trailer
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office updates!
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