Puss in Boots 3 gets an update set to excite fans before Shrek 5

If you thought Puss in Boots had hung up his hat after that Oscar-nominated sequel, you might want to think again. The directors behind the furball's last cinematic adventure are dropping some rather noisy hints that a Puss in Boots 3 is already brewing at DreamWorks — even if the studio is playing coy for now.

The Sequel's Success — and the Future

Let’s start with the obvious: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was anything but a damp squib. The film pulled in a thumping $480 million worldwide, all from a $110 million budget. For an animated spinoff, that’s not just good — it's proper blockbuster territory. Ratings held up as well, with a 95% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 94% from audiences, while its 7.9/10 IMDb score matches the original Shrek — a franchise high-water mark.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish took $480 million at the box office on what was, for a modern animated feature, just a $110 million spend.

The creative team knows they’re onto a winner. Januel Mercado, who co-directed The Last Wish, addressed the swirling rumours directly in an interview with The Direct. Here’s how Mercado hinted at what’s next:

‘I’m sure there’s things stirring in development. He’s such a beloved character, and that last movie really invigorated the franchise.’

That’s not all. Fellow co-director Joel Crawford chipped in to confirm that talks have already started about what Puss might get up to next, saying in so many words that they’re not limiting themselves to another solo run for Antonio Banderas' main character. In fact, the team seems far more interested in using the extended cast from The Last Wish — think Harvey Guillén’s chipper Perrito, Wagner Moura's rather menacing Wolf, and Florence Pugh as Goldilocks (yes, plus the bears). Apparently, the directors want to go even bigger with the scale and the line-up next time around.

Shrek, Spin-offs, and Banderas

This all fits the ongoing Shrek revival at Universal, where we’re getting Shrek 5 in June 2027 — the trailer already dropped this summer. But Banderas has been quite clear that Puss himself isn’t showing up in that one, which ought to leave him free for a proper third outing as the swashbuckling cat.

• The next Shrek film lands June 30, 2027, reuniting Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy — and fresh face Zendaya as Felicia. Banderas' Puss, notably, is sitting it out.

With Far Far Away moving on to new heroes, it looks like any return for Puss is riding squarely on a standalone. Development’s still under wraps, but by all recent hints, fans shouldn’t be surprised if a third instalment claws its way into cinemas before long.