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The Best New Animated Movies to Watch in Theatres

7/1/2021 • 4 min read

(Updated 12/14/2023)

It's a great time for animation, and not just because the game has been significantly changed by the SPIDER-VERSE and new TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES movies. Nearly every big studio is trying something new with animated movies or expanding their fan-favorite worlds.

While we wait for the MUTANT MAYHEM sequel and the third and final SPIDER-VERSE movie — the latter is likely to arrive in 2025 at this point — we've the latest from Hayao Miyazaki, a new movie from the MINIONS makers, and the at-long-last new KUNG-FU PANDA movie. Even more animated movies are on the horizon, too.

Note: If you're looking for movies that fall into the anime category, we've got a look at those, too!

Animated Movies Playing Now in Theatres

The Boy and the HeronThe Boy and the Heron | Cinemark

All we really need to say about this movie is that it is the long-awaited new feature from director Hayao Miyazaki (SPIRITED AWAY, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO). Said to be "a big fantastical film," this return will be worth the wait. [Now Playing]

 

 

WishWish | Cinemark

Walt Disney Animation tells the story of the wishing star which has featured in the story of several other Disney characters. We'll see the shining star through the eyes of Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose), a 17-year-old who sees a darkness in her kingdom that no one else does. [Now Playing]

 

Animated Movies Coming to Movie Theatres Soon

And there's more to come this year and into 2024!

MigrationMigration | Cinemark

Illumination Entertainment has a second movie coming this year to follow MARIO. It's this tale which follows of a family of ducks as they embark upon the flight of a lifetime. Their migration takes them from New England to the Bahamas — or that's the idea, at least! [December 22]

 

 

SoulSoul | Cinemark

Disney and Pixar are putting three previously streaming-only movies on the big screen in 2024. This is the first. What is it that makes you...YOU? SOUL introduces Joe Gardner – a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22, who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions. [January 12]

 

Turning RedTurning Red | Cinemark

The second Disney/Pixar theatrical re-release in early 2024. TURNING RED introduces Mei Lee, a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between duty to her mother and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! [February 9]

 

Kung Fu Panda 4Kung Fu Panda 4 | Cinemark

After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior, 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. That poses a couple of obvious problems. First, Po knows as much about spiritual leadership as he does about the paleo diet, and second, he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position. Even worse, there’s been a recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon, a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small. And Chameleon has her greedy, beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm. [March 8]

 

LucaLuca | Cinemark

It's the third of Disney/Pixar's set of big-screen rereleases. Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s original feature film “Luca” is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay) shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer), but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.. [March 22]

 

The Garfield MovieThe Garfield Movie
 | Cinemark

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. [May 24]

 

 

Inside Out 2Inside Out 2 | Cinemark

The little voices inside Riley’s head know her inside and out—but next summer, everything changes when INSIDE OUT 2 introduces a new Emotion: Anxiety. The movie 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. [June 14]

 

We'll have more movies for kids and families in the months to come!

 

 

All images courtesy of Universal Pictures.

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