Shrek Original Animation Test Leaks Online and Fans Are Freaking Out

Shrek's original test animation is scaring the people of the internet.

A fifth Shrek film is currently in development, and the decades-old franchise is one of the most beloved in animation. Though Mike Myers' eponymous ogre now has an iconic look, that wasn't always the case. In fact, the first animation test for the character made its way online over the Thanksgiving holiday and fans of the franchise are freaking out.

In the video, a totally different version of Shrek is dancing down a cobblestone street James Brown's "I Got You." A thief repels from a nearby rooftop and attempts to rob Shrek, who clearly isn't having it. Suffice it to say, the clip has thrown the people of the internet into a frenzy.


"Shrek got a GLOW UP, glow up. Good Lord, test animation Shrek is the stuff of nightmares," one tweeter shared. 

Another added, "I'm left with so many questions and pain so y'all must suffer with me now."

Who's all going to be in Shrek 5?

Though little is known about Shrek 5, Illumination boss Chris Meledandri revealed he believes most of the cast will be back to voice their original roles.

"We anticipate the cast coming back," Meledandri revealed. "Talks are starting now, and every indication that we've gotten is there's tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return."

"It's not that dissimilar to the process that we went through with 'Mario,' where you look at what the core elements are that audiences have loved, and you do your very best to honor those core elements," Meledandri explained. "And then you're hard at work to build story elements and new characters that take you to brand new places. The original cast is a huge part of that."

Based on the book by William Steig, the original anti-fairy tale grossed nearly $500 million at the global box office in 2001. Shrek 2, released in 2004, was once the highest-grossing animated movie in history and remains the studio's biggest success with a global haul of $935 million; two more sequels, 2007's Shrek the Third and 2010's Shrek Forever After, earned $807 million and $756 million worldwide, respectively.

The first two films can be streamed on Peacock while Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After, and all the franchise spinoffs, are available wherever movies are sold.