2023 was a great year in the history of animation. Films such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nimona, Elemental, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem triumphed among audiences and critics. We also saw the return of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, with his most personal film to date, The Boy and the Heron.
Fortunately, the 2024 release calendar also presents a wide variety of animated films that promise original and peculiar plots, endearing characters, strong doses of nostalgia and the most diverse creative styles (stop-motion, computer animation, traditional animation and combinations of all of the above). Major studios such as Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, Illumination and DreamWorks have incredible releases.
This year brings everything from a new installment of The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim to the adorable The Garfield Movie. Plus, we’ll see highly anticipated sequels like Despicable Me 4, Kung Fu Panda 4 and Inside Out 2.
Here’s the calendar of must-see animated feature films for 2024.
Kung Fu Panda 4
Release date: Friday, March 8, 2024
Studio(s): DreamWorks Animation
Cast: Jack Black, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane, Ke Huy Quan
Genres: Action, Adventure, Martial Arts, Animation
The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five are back in action and will be hitting theaters soon.
The Kung Fu Panda franchise began in 2008, following the lovable Po (Jack Black), a martial arts-obsessed panda who defies all odds and ends up becoming the legendary Dragon Warrior.
In the first film, Po fulfills his destiny as the fated warrior, trained by Master Shifu and the Furious Five. The subsequent sequels delve deeper into Po’s journey while protecting the world from the forces of evil.
According to Dreamworks, in the fourth installment of the franchise Po will train the next Dragon Warrior as he seeks his own path as the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace.
“After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior (Black), is called upon by destiny to … give it a rest already. More specifically, he’s tapped to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace”, according to the official synopsis.
In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po will face his most challenging threat to date: the Chameleon (Viola Davis), a sorceress capable of resurrecting past adversaries. In doing so, the Chameleon will pit Po against the antagonists of the first two Kung Fu Panda films, Tai Lung (Ian McShane) and Lord Shen (Gary Oldman).
The three Kung Fu Panda films have grossed a total of $1.8 billion, making it one of the highest-grossing animated franchises of all time. Directed by Mike Mitchell and co-directed by Stephanie Ma Stine, the fourth film is set to continue the legacy of the lovable Po.
The Garfield Movie
Release date: Friday, May 24, 2024
Studio(s): Columbia Pictures, Alcon Entertainment, DNEG Animation, Amuse Entertainment, Paws, Inc.
Cast: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, Ving Rhames
Genres: Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Garfield, the endearing orange cat obsessed with lasagna, will finally have his first animated film.
In the latest adaptation of the famous comic strip by Jim Davis (1978), Garfield is about to reunite with his past and go on a wild outdoor adventure; in addition to telling how Garfield the cat met his owner Jon Arbuckle, the feature will tell the story of how Garfield’s life is turned upside down when he learns that his father Vic (Samuel L. Jackson) is still alive and roaming the world.
The official synopsis for The Garfield Movie reads:
“Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.”
The trailer suggests that The Garfield Movie is going to be a simple, family-friendly adventure that is sure to excite the little ones.
The voice cast includes Chris Pratt as Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson as Vic and Harvey Guillen as Odie. The production is directed by Mark Dindal and written by David Reynolds.
Dindal, meanwhile, has projects such as The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) and Chicken Little (2005) for Disney, and has also worked as effects animator on the popular Aladdin, The Great Mouse Detective, Oliver & Company films.
Inside Out 2
Release date: Friday, June 14, 2024.
Studio(s): Disney, Pixar
Cast: Amy Poehler, Tony Hale, Maya Hawke, Liza Lapira, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Diane Lane
Genres: Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Nearly nine years after the release of Inside Out (2015), Pixar returns to the fascinating world of emotions with a long-awaited sequel.
The original film focused on little Riley, and the management of her emotions after her family moves to a new town. By the end of the story, the emotions of Joy and Sadness work together to help Riley adapt and cope with change as an inescapable part of life.
Almost immediately, Pete Doctor’s film became a runaway success, not only winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, but also enjoying a tremendous reception at the worldwide box office. It’s no wonder the studio has given the green light for a sequel.
Inside Out 2 is set to introduce new emotions into Riley’s head as she becomes a teenager. As we know, adolescence can be a complicated time and the film will explore some of the emotions that are aroused at this stage.
The official synopsis reads:
“Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.”
Inside Out 2 marks the feature directorial debut of Kelsey Mann, who has already collaborated on numerous other Pixar projects, including The Good Dinosaur and Lightyear.
Despicable Me 4
Release date: Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Studio(s): Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment
Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Pierre Coffin
Genres: Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Over the years, the Despicable Me franchise has grossed more than $3.5 billion and has become a huge audience favorite. There is no doubt that Gru, and especially the funny Minions, have become something of a cultural phenomenon.
Although there is still no official plot synopsis for Despicable Me 4, some details about the premise have been released. Apparently, we can expect that a new supervillain has a sinister plan to take over the world, and that the resourceful Gru will have to stop the threat.
According to Steve Carell (via The Economic Times), the new installment will show Gru and his family fighting together in the Anti-Villain League. This film is directed by Chris Renaud, responsible for the first two installments of the franchise.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim
Release date: Friday, December 13, 2024
Studio(s): New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Animation, Sola Entertainment
Cast: Brian Cox, Miranda Otto, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, Laurence Ubong, Shaun Dooley
Genres: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The Lord of the Rings universe will be expanded with a new animated project, entitled The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim. This ambitious production once again revives J.R.R. Tolkien’s magical universe.
As the name suggests, the film explores the powerful kingdom of Rohan, which played a pivotal role in the fight against Sauron in The Two Towers. The plot revolves around Rohan’s elite army, known as the Rohirrim, and centers on the legendary king, Helm Hammerhand.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim is set some 200 years before Peter Jackson’s trilogy, but takes place long after the Lord of the Rings series: The Rings of Power which takes place approximately 5,000 years before the trilogy.
Japanese filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama is set to direct this project. Kamiyama is known for his work on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – Solid State Society and the Ultraman series for Netflix.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Release date: Friday, December 20, 2024
Studio (s): Sega Sammy Group, Original Film, Blur Studio, Marza Animation Planet. Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Cast: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub, Idris Elba
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is on the way, and there are already interesting news about the fast and charismatic blue hedgehog. The movie, based on Sega’s video game series, is a sequel to both the feature films Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), as well as the Knuckles TV series (2024).
While further plot details have not yet been confirmed, it is known that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will introduce the character Shadow, who is expected to be the main antagonist.
Directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller and John Whittington, the film stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub, Tika Sumpter, and Idris Elba.
And that concludes our summary of the best animation releases of 2024. Needless to say, this year offers some truly amazing gems. At first glance, it seems that some of these productions will stand the test of time and may become triumphs of the genre.