Shrek: 25th Anniversary

Details

Twenty-five years after teaching audiences that fairy tales don't always need handsome princes and beautiful princesses, DreamWorks Animation's Shrek is returning in a newly remastered 4K edition this November, including a Limited Edition SteelBook and lavish Collector's Edition.

Living happily - and preferably alone - in his secluded swamp, Shrek (Mike Myers) wants little more than to be left in peace. Unfortunately, his quiet existence is abruptly interrupted when the scheming Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) banishes an assortment of fairy-tale creatures from his kingdom and sends them directly into the reluctant ogre's home.

Determined to reclaim his swamp, Shrek strikes a deal with Farquaad: if he rescues the beautiful Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from a remote castle guarded by a fire-breathing dragon, the displaced fairy-tale characters will be removed from his land.

Accompanied by an endlessly talkative Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek sets off on a journey that gleefully turns the traditional fairy-tale adventure on its head. But after rescuing Fiona, Shrek gradually discovers that the princess is hiding a secret of her own - and that appearances, whether those of princesses or ogres, can be decidedly deceptive.

Released in 2001 and loosely based on William Steig's children's book, Shrek became both a critical and commercial success, establishing DreamWorks Animation's irreverent alternative to the traditional animated fairy tale. Its mixture of slapstick, pop-culture references and humour aimed equally at children and adults helped turn Shrek and Donkey into two of the studio's most recognisable characters.

The film also made Academy Award history when it became the first winner of the newly created Oscar for Best Animated Feature, beating fellow nominees Monsters, Inc. and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Its success subsequently spawned three direct sequels, the Puss in Boots films, television specials and series, while a fifth Shrek feature is currently in development.

For its 25th anniversary, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has returned to the original film for a newly remastered 4K presentation. The Ultra HD edition features Dolby Vision and HDR10 high dynamic range alongside a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

The release also includes more than five hours of supplementary material, headed by the newly produced Origins of an Ogre, in which members of the creative team look back at the origins and production of the groundbreaking animated adventure.

Collectors will have a choice of two SteelBook packages. Alongside the standalone three-disc Limited Edition SteelBook, a larger 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition houses the SteelBook inside a rigid gloss slipcase and adds a full copy of the movie screenplay, a double-sided poster and a collection of character cards.

Shrek: 25th Anniversary Edition will be released on 4K Ultra HD in the UK by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on 2nd November 2026, with both the Limited Edition SteelBook and Collector's Edition available.