2024 Fall Animation Preview: Here Come More Oscar Contenders, Led by ‘The Wild Robot’
The year 2023 was an embarrassment of riches when it came to animation. Movies like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” became massive commercial successes and crossed the billion-dollar mark at the box office, while movies like “Nimona” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” hit big with audiences and critics. There were films that boasted wildly different aesthetics and showed the power of the animation medium, like “Blue Giant” and “The First Slam Dunk.” We also saw the return of legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, who gave us his most personal film to date with “The Boy and the Heron.”
That’s a lot for 2024 to live up to — luckily, it seems the year will bring with it a healthy mix of big studio franchises and more grown-up animated fare. There are still big and highly anticipated animated movies slated to be released in 2024. “Inside Out 2,” Pixar’s mega-blockbuster Oscar favorite, faces plenty of Best Animated Feature competition this fall/holiday season, led by DreamWorks’ “The Wild Robot,” Disney’s “Moana 2,” Netflix/Aardman’s “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” “Piece by Piece,” “Memoir of a Snail”, “That Christmas,” and “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.”
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Here is a rundown of 2024 animated releases with updates to come.
This article was first published on January 3, 2024. It has been updated.
‘The Concierge’ (Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures, September 11 Only)
This warm and engaging anime was a festival fave last year. Directed by Yoshimi Itazu and animated by Production I.G. (“Terminator Zero”), it’s adapted from “The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store” by Tsuchika Nishimura. It concerns a department store trainee who learns about the challenges of catering exclusively to animals to become a full-time hire.
‘Trapezium’ (Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures, September 18 Only)
This anime about forming an idol band from scratch, directed by Masahiro Shinohara and based on the novel by Kazumi Takayama (who belonged to Nogizaka46), concerns a young, ambitious Japanese high school student who attempts to form an idol group by recruiting girls from all four high schools in her region. The dream comes true and then reality creates setbacks and heartbreak.
‘Transformers One’ (Paramount, September 20)
This marks the franchise’s first animated feature in nearly 40 years, and director Josh Cooley (“Toy Story 4”) brings warmth, emotion, and a hand-made aesthetic through the format. The prequel offers an origin story about the Autobots on planet Cybertron before the war and post-apocalyptic live-action franchise from Michael Bay. At the center is the early friendship between Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), who are struggling minors prior to gaining their superpowers and becoming bitter enemies as the legendary Optimus Prime and infamous Megatron. ILM pivots from the extraordinary photoreal VFX of the Bay films to animation influenced by the look of the series. The metal planet looks exquisite and Orion and D-16 are effectively rendered with their iconic silhouettes intact.
‘The Wild Robot’ (DreamWorks/Universal, September 27)
The sci-fi adventure from director Chris Sanders is the best DreamWorks movie since “How to Train Your Dragon” (directed by Sanders and Dean DeBlois). Adapted from Peter Brown’s illustrated book, it’s likely the strongest Oscar competition for “Inside Out 2,” especially as a non-sequel. It’s about robot Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), washed ashore on an uninhabited island, who must adapt and live among the animals. She’s joined by orphaned gosling bird (Kit Connor), Brightbill, and Fink, the fox (Pedro Pascal). The film explores the relationship between technology and nature through Roz’s evolving nature. Kindness becomes her survival skill as whe learns to become one with the wild. DreamWorks embraces an impressionistic 2D aesthetic (inspired by Tyrus Wong’s legendary watercolor backgrounds in “Bambi” and Hayao Miyazaki’s lush forests) that’s the most impressive hand-drawn stylization since the influential “Spider-Verse.”
‘Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom’ (Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures, November 8)
The first film from the fantasy video game franchise (from Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures), produced by Madhouse and directed by Naoyuki Ito, picks up after Season 4 by following Momonga, who finds himself transported into his favorite video game.
‘Piece by Piece’ (Focus Features, October 11)
Oscar-winning documentary director Morgan Neville (“20 Feet from Stardom”) presents a unique documentary about musical legend Pharrell Williams through animated LEGO brick building. For this American dream portrait, the director interviewed the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter during the pandemic before shooting live-action scenes with him and his associates. It boasts five original songs by Williams and a cast that includes Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay Z, and Snoop Dogg.
‘Memoir of a Snail’ (IFC Films, October 25, limited)
This year’s Annecy Cristal Award winner represents the second stop-motion feature from Australian Adam Elliot (“Mary and Max”) — the claymation master of melancholy, who continues to amaze with tactile craft, black comedy, and graphic adult content (proudly R-rated). This semi-autobiographical tale explores sad, lonely, and snail-hoarding Gracie (Sarah Snook), who narrates her life story in a letter to favorite snail, Sylvia. She details her life of mistreatment (including a bad marriage) and the trauma that led to her retreating from life in her own shell. Gracie is befriended by the extraordinary Pinky (Jacki Weaver), a former table dancer, whose humanity provides hope. But Gracie pines for her long-lost twin brother Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who’s had it rough as well on the other side of Australia with an abusive religious cult.
‘Spellbound’ (Netflix/Skydance Animation, November 22)
The second animated feature from John Lasseter-led Skydance Animation (now a part of Paramount/Skydance merger) is a charming Disney-esque musical fantasy directed by Vicky Jenson (“Shrek”). It takes place in the mythical kingdom of Lumbria, where teenage princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler from “West Side Story”) must break the spell that transformed her parents (Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem) into monsters. Eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”) composed the score and wrote the original songs with lyricist Glenn Slater (“Tangled”).
‘Flow’ (Janus Films/Sideshow, November 22)
Latvia’s Oscar international feature entry, from director Gints Zilbalodis (“Away”), is a fresh and compelling survival adventure of Biblical proportions. It explores a black cat that escapes a catastrophic flood with fellow animals in a boat (including a capybara, lemur, stork, and golden retriever). There is no dialogue and the animation is striking (especially the world building), thanks to a talented team based in France, Belgium, and Latvia. The anthropomorphic behavior of navigating the boat and overcoming nature’s obstacles provides a mythic power.
‘Moana 2’ (Disney, November 27)
The “Moana” sequel, directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, began as a Disney+ series, but transitioned to a feature amidst early praise. It remained with the studio’s new Vancouver studio, expanding its story, scope, and animation, in collaboration with the Burbank studio and a shared pipeline. The story finds the titular hero (Chloe Auli?i Cravalho) getting an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, searches for the lost island of Motufetu, now hidden by the jealous God of Storms, to reconnect all of the communities of Oceania. Demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) returns, but the sequel introduces baby sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) and new crew members. Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i return as composers and co-songwriters, joined by songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.
‘That Christmas’ (Netflix/Locksmith Animation, December 4)
Based on the trilogy of children’s books by director Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”), who will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, this Christmas movie intertwines how the members of the town cope with love and loneliness. It’s like an “emotional magnifying glass,” narrated by Santa (Brian Cox). It’s directed by directed by “How to Train Your Dragon” animation vet Simon Otto. The voice cast also includes Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Lolly Adefope, and Alex Macqueen, and the score is by John Powell (“How to Train Your Dragon” franchise).
‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ (Warner Bros., December 13)
J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved franchise finally gets the anime treatment from director Kenji Kamiyama (“Ghost in the Shell” sequels), executive produced by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. The beautiful-looking 2D prequel explores the tragic consequences of war and revenge, telling the story of Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox), the legendary king of Rohan, and his family, as they defend their kingdom against the ruthless Dunlendings. They are ruled by Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), the lord of Dunland, who seeks revenge for the death of his father. The film is narrated by Rohan descendant and future shieldmaiden éowyn (Miranda Otto).
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ (Disney, December 20)
Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) directs this origin story about Mufasa (Aaron Pierre), who struggles and rises to nobility, and the inevitable conflict with brother Scar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). It’s an original prequel to Jon Favreau’s innovative photorealistic remake of “The Lion King,” with MPC returning to provide more nuanced performances with their virtual production and keyframe animation. We shall see if Disney once again terms this “live-action,” and does not submit for Best Animated Feature. A more expansive African savanna provides the setting. Rafiki (John Kani) tells Kiara (daughter of Simba and Nala) the story of her grandfather, while Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) add colorful commentary. Jenkins is joined by such long-time collaborators as cinematographer James Laxton, production designer Mark Friedberg, editor Joi McMillon, and composer Nicholas Britell (who is joined by returning Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams, with Lin-Manuel Miranda composing the songs).
‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ (Netflix/Aardman, Winter)
Franchise creator Nick Park and creative director Merlin Crossingham helm the feature-length return of Aardman’s favorite stop-motion pals: the cheese-loving, eccentric human inventor, Wallace (Ben Whitehead), and his loyal canine companion, Gromit. The comedy-adventure (which will premiere October 27 at AFI Fest, at the TCL Chinese Theater) is about Wallace’s greatest invention: Norbot (Reece Shearsmith), a “smart gnome” designed to do any kind of gardening task (or “gnome improvement”), until it goes out-of-control with a mind of its own. Further complications ensue with the return of fan-favorite Feathers McGraw, the villainous penguin from the Oscar-winning short “The Wrong Trousers,” who now seeks vengeance on the duo.
‘Ghost Cat Anzu’ (GKids, TBA)
A Japanese fantasy directed by Y?ko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita concerns a ghost cat who looks after an 11-year-old girl in her grandfather’s house in a small Japanese town, where she’s abandoned by her father.
‘The Colors Within’ (GKids, TBA)
The latest coming-of-age anime from acclaimed director Naoko Yamada (“A Silent Voice”), premiering at Annecy, is about a high school student, Totsuko, who can see the colors of others (bliss, excitement, serenity). Although she doesn’t play an instrument, Totsuko forms a band with a classmate and a music enthusiast she meets in a used bookstore. The hand-drawn animation is from Science SARU (“Scott Pilgrim Takes Off,” “Inu-Oh”).
‘The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie’ (Ketchum, Entertainment, TBA)
Daffy Duck and Porky Pig (both voiced by Eric Bauza) headline the first fully 2D-animated, non-compilation theatrical feature in the “Looney Tunes” franchise, directed by Peter Browngardt (executive producer/creative director of “Looney Tunes Cartoons”). Due to a series of antics at the bubblegum factory, Daffy and Porky discover a secret alien plot to take over the Earth via mind-control.
Previously Released in 2024
‘Great Pretender Razbliuto’ (WIT Studio/Crunchyroll, January 9)
“Great Pretender” was one of the big anime surprises of 2020. It is a highly energetic show with a vibrant color palette about con artists pulling big jobs and a lovable cast of international characters with many flaws and personal issues. Like any great heist movie, “Great Pretender” is also full of fun twists and turns — and boasts an ending theme song by Freddy Mercury. Now, we’re getting a movie continuation in “Great Pretender Razbliuto,” which will introduce a new con artist and expand on the story of the main crew while building up a thrilling scheme.
‘Orion and the Dark’ (DreamWorks/Netflix, February 2)
One of Netflix’s big reveals at Annecy in 2023, “Orion and the Dark” boasts a script written by Charlie Kaufman, known for his mind-bending writing on movies like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and the stop-motion “Anomalisa.” Based on Emma Yarlett’s book, “Orion and the Dark” stars Jacob Tremblay as a young kid scared of everything who embarks on an adventure full of strange creatures where he will face his greatest fears — even some that are friendlier than he thought. Early previews promise a film full of Kaufman-esque imagery, like creatures inspired by the Muppets and the work of Werner Herzog, and a handcrafted visual style.
‘The Tiger’s Apprentice’ (Paramount Animation/Paramount+, February 2)
Over 15 years since Cartoon Network first announced an adaptation of “The Tiger’s Apprentice,” the film will finally be released. Though originally slated for theaters, Paramount shifted the release of “The Tiger’s Apprentice” over to Paramount+. Directed by Raman Hui (the “Monster Hunt” films), the film is an adaptation of Laurence Yep’s book of the same name, and it follows a Chinese-American boy who discovers he comes from a long line of magical protectors. As the apprentice of a shape-shifting tiger, the boy must learn the necessary magic to protect an ancient phoenix. “The Tiger’s Apprentice” has an all-star cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh, Henry Golding, Sherry Cola, and more.
‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ (DreamWorks/Universal, March 8)
The Dragon Warrior is back! “Kung Fu Panda” is one of the best animated trilogies around, with stunning action choreography, heartfelt stories, and memorable characters. For the franchise’s fourth installment, Jack Black’s Po the Panda will face his biggest challenge yet: retirement. The film sees Po training the next Dragon Warrior while becoming a spiritual leader, which is sure to lead to plenty of ridiculously funny scenarios. “Kung Fu Panda 4” expands the franchise’s stellar voice cast by bringing in Viola Davis, Awkwafina, and Ke Huy Quan to voice new characters. The film is directed by “Shrek Forever After” and “Sky High” director Mike Mitchell.
‘The Garfield Movie’ (DNEG Animation/Sony Pictures Releasing, May 24)
Going exclusively by the casting of Chris Pratt as the star of a new animated movie based on a beloved character, “The Garfield Movie” is set to be the biggest box office hit of 2024. Even if it isn’t, the new adaptation at least has some truly bizarre yet kind of exciting voice casting, like Samuel L. Jackson playing Garfield’s estranged father, Vic, or the star of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” Harvey Guillén, as Garfield’s best friend, Odie. The new CG animated film is animated by DNEG Animation, known for the surprisingly great and hilarious “Ron’s Gone Wrong” and the visually stunning “Entergalactic.”
‘Chicken for Linda’ (GKids, April 5 in N.Y., April 12 in L.A., April 15 original French version in select theaters)
Directed by the married duo Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach, this delightful hand-painted French-Italian musical comedy took the 2023 Annecy Cristal Award and the 2023 Animation Is Film Grand Jury Prize. “Chicken for Linda” is about memory and mother-daughter bonding. After Paulette (voiced by Clotilde Hesme) wrongly punishes 8-year-old Linda (Melinée Leclerc), she tries to make it up to her by cooking her late husband’s signature dish: chicken and peppers. It’s the only memory Linda has of her father, who returns as narrator to help fill the void through magical realism. What ensues is a wild chase to catch a chicken during a supermarket strike.
‘Thelma the Unicorn’ (Netflix, May 17)
Based on the popular children’s books series by Aaron Blabey (“The Bad Guys”), this animated musical concerns an outcast mini pony (Brittany Howard) who dreams of musical stardom and unexpectedly gets her wish during a pink and glam moment when she becomes a unicorn. Directed by Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”) and Lynn Wang (“Unikitty!”) and animated by Mikros Animation (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”), the voice cast also includes Will Forte as Otis, a donkey and Thelma’s best friend, Jermaine Clement as talent agent Vic Diamond, Edi Patterson, Fred Armisen, and Zach Galifianakis.
‘Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle’ (Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures, May 31)
This feature, produced by Production I.G and directed by Susumu Mitsunaka, was made in honor of the 10th anniversary of the popular volleyball anime series, and was a huge hit in Japan. It continues the contest between rivals Karasuno and Nekoma on the big screen.
‘Robot Dreams’ (NEON, May 31)
Pablo Berger’s silent film scored an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature — and now gets a full theatrical release. The melancholy film follows the adventures of friends Robot and Dog, separated by circumstance and weather in painstakingly recreated ’80s NYC.
‘Inside Out 2’ (Pixar/Disney, June 14)
The first “Inside Out” was a wonderful animated movie that showed us what an emotional young girl’s head is like, with a vast world of colorful imagination and a heartbreaking Pixar side character. For the sequel, Pixar raises the stakes by going inside a teenager’s head. Judging by how emotionally intelligent the first film was, we can expect a complex, deeply relatable story about growing up and facing the worst thing: anxiety. Maya Hawke joins the cast as Anxiety, while Liza Lapira and Tony Hale replace Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader as Disgust and Fear, respectively. “Inside Out 2” comes from longtime Pixar veteran Kelsey Mann in his feature directorial debut, while Meg LeFauve returns to pen the script.
‘Ultraman: Rising’ (Netflix, June 14)
This reimagining of the popular anime franchise (a co-production of Netflix, Tsuburaya Productions, and Industrial Light & Magic) marks the directorial debut of veteran animator Shannon Tindle (“Lost Ollie,” “Kubo and the Two Strings”). It looks to be a heartwarming superhero film about balancing career and family. With Tokyo under siege from rising kaiju attacks, Dodgers baseball superstar Ken Sato (Christopher Sean) reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman with a lot of emotional baggage. But Sato gets sidetracked when he reluctantly adopts a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby kaiju. Tindle has designed a colorful and graphic 2D sensibility in CG that’s organic to the DNA of the franchise, and ILM (the Oscar-winning “Rango”) handles the animation with wonderful flourish.
‘Blue Lock the Movie — Episode Nagi’ (Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures, June 28)
This marks the first film from the hit anime sports series and follows high schooler Nagi Seishiro as he discovers his hidden talent for soccer. The film is produced by Eightbit and directed by Shunsuke Ishikawa.
‘Despicable Me 4’ (Illumination/Universal, July 3)
Director Chris Renaud returns for a superhero riff that introduces baby Gru Jr. (Steve Carell), aspiring supervillain Poppy Prescott (Joey King), and a sinister revenge plot aimed at Gru (Carell) and his family from childhood rival Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), who has escaped from prison and harnessed the power of a cockroach. The new script, which still finds plenty of room for The Minions, is from franchise regular Ken Daurio and “The White Lotus” creator Mike White, who previously wrote the studio’s “Migration.”
‘The Imaginary’ (Netflix, July 5)
“The Imaginary,” based on the acclaimed novel by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, follows young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger, who discover a magical world of creatures and places never before seen until a sinister force threatens to destroy it. Produced by Studio Ponoc and directed by former Studio Ghibli animator Yoshiyuki Momose (“Grave of the Fireflies”), the anime boasts hand-drawn animation by Les Films du Poisson Rouge (“Klaus”) that’s heightened by innovative techniques of light and shadow.
‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’ (Netflix/Nickelodeon Movies, August 2)
When Bikini Bottom and all its denizens are suddenly scooped out of the ocean, Sandy Cheeks and SpongeBob SquarePants journey to Texas to save the town from a villainous plot. Liza Johnson directs, while Carolyn Lawrence and Tom Kenny reprise their roles as Sandy and SpongeBob from the long-running cartoon, and they’re joined by a cast of pals new and old, including Wanda Sykes, Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, Mr. Lawrence, Rodger Bumpass, Johnny Knoxville, Craig Robinson, Grey DeLisle, Ilia Isorelys Paulino, and Matty Cardarople.
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