2025 came to a close with animation as globally dominant as ever. Ne Zha 2 topped the worldwide box office with $2.21 billion, followed by Walt Disney Animation’s Zootopia 2, which came out hot in late November and is still cooking, and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle at $759.3 million.
Anime was more dominant than ever, with films like Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc and compliation theatrical releases like Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution emulating, to a lesser extent, Demon Slayer‘s incredible profitability.
What does that mean for 2026? With Walt Disney Animation scoring a much-needed win in 2025, will its sister studio Pixar Animation follow suit with its two releases — Hoppers and Toy Story 5 — and restore the once-dominant CG animation studio to box office success and original storytelling? Will there be any break-out originals like Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation’s KPop Demon Hunters? Or will the coming year only bolster the seemingly endless stream of sequels, prequels, and remakes?
Here’s the calendar of animated features currently set for release in the U.S. in 2026, which we will update periodically thorughout the year as new details emerge.
JANUARY
Lupin The IIIRD: The Movie – The Immortal Bloodline
Director: Takeshi Koike
Production Companies: Chûôkôron Shinsha, Telecom Animation Film
U.S. Distributor: GKIDS
Release Date: January 4–6
The first Lupin feature in six years, The Immortal Bloodline drops Lupin III and his crew onto an uncharted island after they follow a mysterious invitation.
Charlie the Wonderdog
Director: Shea Wageman
Production Company: ICON Creative Studio
U.S. Distributor: VivaKids
Release Date: January 16
A CG-animated super-pooch story, Charlie the Wonderdog follows a shy kid who imagines superhero adventures with his pet dog, Charlie (voiced by Owen Wilson). When Charlie is abducted by aliens and gifted real superpowers, he emerges as the greatest superhero the world has ever seen.
All You Need Is Kill (aka Ôru Yû Nîdo Izu Kiru)
Directors: Ken’ichirô Akimoto, Yukinori Nakamura
Production Company: Studio 4°C
U.S. Distributor: GKIDS
Release Date: January 16
Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s 2004 light novel All You Need Is Kill, illustrated by Yoshitoshi Abe. Readers may know the story from its 2014 live-action adaptation Edge of Tomorrow, directed by Doug Liman and starring Tom Cruise. This anime version approaches the story from a distinct point of view meant to set it apart from previous adaptations.
Arco
Director: Ugo Bienvenu
Production Companies: Remembers, MountainA, France 3 Cinema
U.S. Distributor: NEON
Release Date: January 23 limited, January 30 wide
Already considered one of the best animated features of 2025 by the National Board of Review, Annecy, and New York Film Critics, Arco gets a wide release in the United States just as the film awards season is at its hottest. The story centers on Arco, a 10-year-old boy from a peaceful, distant future who accidentally travels back to the year 2075 and discovers a world in peril. He bonds with the young girl Iris, and they work together to get him back to his own time.
Cosmic Princess Kaguya!
Director: Shingo Yamashita
Production Companies: Chromadog Studios, Studio Colorido
U.S. Distributor: Netflix
Release Date: January 26
An original anime feature and the feature-length debut of Shingo Yamashita, Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is a contemporary reimagining of Japan’s oldest folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Featuring a mix of traditional 2D animation and 3D camerawork with a bespoke soundtrack, anime fans are eager to see what Yamashita delivers.
FEBRUARY
Scarlet
Director: Mamoru Hosodo
Production Companies: Studio Chizu, Columbia Pictures
U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Release Date: February 6
Another progression in writer/director Mamoru Hosodo’s blending of 2D animation and CG animation, Scarlet is his gender-swapped exploration of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The heroine goes on a time-hopping epic that brings to bear the price of vengeance and the rewards of forgiveness. The animation is an ambitious new benchmark for Hosodo and his animators at Studio Chizu and collaborators at Digital Frontiers.
The Last Whale Singer
Director: Reza Memari
Production Companies: Telescope Animation, PFX, La Boîte à Fanny
U.S. Distributor: VivaKids
Release Date: February 12
This CG-animated adventure anthropomorphizes an ensemble of undersea creatures on a quest to save their ocean. The Telescope synopsis reads: “When a young humpback whale plagued by self-doubt discovers that only his mystical song can save the oceans from a terrible creature, he’s forced to confront his deepest fears.”
GOAT
Directors: Tyree Dillihay, Adam Rosette
Production Companies: Modern Magic, Sony Pictures Animation, Unanimous Media
U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
Release Date: February 13
Sony Pictures is touting the film by name-checking producer Stephen Curry and emphasizing that it’s made by many of the same artists behind Spider-Verse and KPop Demon Hunters. An original underdog (goat?) story, GOAT follows little Will, who dreams of playing roar-ball and gets a chance to join the pros in a world where animals are the dominant species.
MARCH
Hoppers
Director: Daniel Chong
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
U.S. Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release Date: March 6
The theatrical feature debut of We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong, Hoppers is Pixar’s comedic take on Avatar. Mabel, a human animal lover, has her consciousness transferred into a beaver and ends up helping organize an uprising against encroaching humans.
APRIL
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Directors: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Production Companies: Illumination, Nintendo
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: April 3
Horvath and Jelenic return for their second adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom. Per the logline: “Mario and Luigi join Princess Peach and Toad on an adventure into outer space and across the galaxy to face off against Bowser’s son, Bowser Jr.” The film will also introduce Princess Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson).
MAY
Animal Farm
Director: Andy Serkis
Production Companies: Imaginarium Productions, Aniventure
U.S. Distributor: Angel
In production since 2022, this third adaptation of George Orwell’s 1945 novella Animal Farm takes a comedic, revisionist approach. Despite the tonal departure, Serkis assembled an A-list voice cast including Seth Rogen, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, and himself.
JUNE
Toy Story 5
Director: Andrew Stanton
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
U.S. Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release Date: June 19
Andrew Stanton returns to the franchise he helped build. Bonnie is now eight years old and has a new tablet, throwing the toys into panic as they struggle to compete for her attention.
JULY
Minions 3
Director: Pierre Coffin
Production Company: Illumination
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: July 1
The third sequel centered on the tiny yellow troublemakers, the now–$5 billion franchise remains a summer box office juggernaut for Illumination and Universal.
AUGUST
Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie
Director: Cal Brunker
Production Companies: Nickelodeon Movies, Domain Entertainment, Spin Master Entertainment
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Distribution
Release Date: August 14
Heroic dogs remain all the rage. The third Paw Patrol feature brings back the same creative team, with animation handled by Mikros Image in Montreal.
Coyote vs. Acme
Director: Dave Green
Production Company: Warner Bros. Pictures Animation
U.S. Distributor: Ketchup Entertainment
Release Date: August 28
The miracle release of 2026, Coyote vs. Acme narrowly escaped being shelved as a tax write-off before being sold to Ketchup Entertainment. Audiences will finally get to see Wile E. Coyote sue the Acme Corporation for decades of faulty products.
SEPTEMBER
Forgotten Island
Director: Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado
Production Company: DreamWorks Animation
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: September 25
Two lifelong best friends become stranded on a fantastical island where forgotten memories take physical form, forcing them to choose between finding their way home and sacrificing the shared history that defines their bond.
OCTOBER
The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender
Director: Lauren Montgomery
Production Companies: Nickelodeon Movies, Avatar Studios
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: October 9
A continuation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the characters are aged up to young adults as the story picks up after The Legend of Korra. Montgomery, a veteran of both series, directs. Recently dropped from Paramount’s theatrical plans and will be sent straight to streaming, much to the chagrin of franchise fans.
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
Directors: Steve Cox, Matthew Walker
Production Company: Aardman Animations
U.S. Distributor: StudioCanal
Release Date: October 31
The final installment in the Shaun the Sheep feature trilogy, with a likely spookier tone befitting its Halloween release.
NOVEMBER
The Cat in the Hat
Directors: Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni
Production Companies: Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, DNEG Animation
U.S. Distributor: Warner Bros.
Release Date: November 6
DNEG Animation leads this new take on Dr. Seuss’ iconic character, with Bill Hader voicing the mischievous Cat.
Hexed
Directors: Josie Trinidad, Jason Hand
Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios
U.S. Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release Date: November 25
A magical original story centered on an awkward teenage boy whose abilities are discovered by his Type A mother.
DECEMBER
The Angry Birds Movie 3
Director: John Rice
Production Companies: Rovio Animation, DNEG Animation, Flywheel Media
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Distribution
Release Date: December 23
UNDATED, BUT SCHEDULED FOR 2026
Includes Untitled Peanuts Movie, A New Dawn, Wildwood, Ray Gunn, Steps, Swapped, and We Are Aliens.
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