Following its Academy Award win for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and acquisition of Animal Logic, Netflix reveals details for nine animated films to be released over the next 18 months.
Highlights include two new feature films coming in 2024: Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie and In Your Dreams, as well as an ensemble voice cast announcement for the summer 2023 release, Nimona. This slate of family movies join the streamer’s growing animated feature portfolio, which has garnered seven Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature — the most of any individual animation studio since its inception in 2018.
Nimona — Ensemble cast announcement, new images.
This summer, Netflix will release the highly anticipated Nimona, based on the bestselling graphic novel by ND Stevenson. Nimona follows Ballister Boldheart, a knight framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and the titular shapeshifter who sets out to help him prove his innocence.
Today, Netflix confirms joining the film’s previously announced cast members Chloë Grace Moretz (Nimona), Riz Ahmed (Ballister Boldheart) and Eugene Lee Yang (Ambrosius Goldenloin) are supporting cast Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint, Beck Bennett, RuPaul Charles, Indya Moore, Julio Torres and Sarah Sherman.
Directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane from a screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor, produced by Karen Ryan, p.g.a, Julie Zackary, p.g.a. and Roy Lee. Production company is Annapurna Animation.
The Monkey King — New image.
Coming Summer 2023, The Monkey King is an action-packed family comedy that follows a charismatic Monkey and his magical fighting Stick on an epic quest for victory over 100 demons, an eccentric Dragon King, and Monkey’s greatest foe of all — his own ego! Along the way, a young village girl challenges his self-centered attitude and shows him that even the smallest pebble can have a big effect on the world.
Directed by Anthony Stacchi (The Boxtrolls), produced by Peilin Chou, executive produced by Stephen Chow. Starring Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Pang, Andrew Kishino, Jodi Long, James Sie and BD Wong.
Leo — New image.
Coming Fall 2023, actor and comedian Adam Sandler (Hotel Transylvania, The Wedding Singer) delivers signature laughs in this coming-of-age animated musical comedy about the last year of elementary school — as seen through the eyes of a class pet. Jaded 74-year-old lizard Leo (Sandler) has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle (Bill Burr). When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside but instead gets caught up in the problems of his anxious students — including an impossibly mean substitute teacher. It ends up being the strangest but most rewarding bucket list ever…
Directed by Robert Smigel, Robert Marianetti & David Wachtenheim, produced by Happy Madison. Starring Sandler, Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Heidi Gardner, Nick Swardson, Nicholas Turturro, Robert Smigel, Jo Koy and Stephanie Hsu.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget — New image.
Coming Fall 2023, from the multi Academy and BAFTA award-winning Aardman (Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep) and Academy Award and BAFTA-nominated director Sam Fell (ParaNorman and Flushed Away, respectively), comes the eagerly anticipated sequel to the beloved and highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time, Chicken Run.
Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has finally found her dream — a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk — this time, they’re breaking in!
Fell direct from a screenplay by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’ Farrell and Rachel Tunnard. Producers are Steve Pegram, Leyla Hobart, executive producers are Peter Lord, Nick Park, Carla Shelley, Paul Kewley, Karey Kirkpatrick. Starring Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, David Bradley, Jane Horrocks, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, Josie Sedgwick-Davies and Nick Mohammed.
In Your Dreams — Film announcement, first look image.
A perfect family? Siblings who get along? Yeah… in your dreams. This is a comedy adventure about Stevie and her brother Elliot who magically travel into the world of dreams with the mission of finding The Sandman who will grant them their ultimate wish — saving their parents’ marriage. The kids are total opposites, making them an unlikely duo to navigate the absurdity of their own subconscious. Along their journey, they discover that as long as they have each other, they can face anything, even their worst nightmare.
Directed by Alex Woo, co-directed by Erik Benson, produced by Gregg Taylor and Tim Hahn. Coming in 2024.
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie — Film announcement, first look image.
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. Coming in 2024.
Directed by Liza Johnson (The Last of Us, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Dead to Me) from a teleplay by Kaz and Tom Stern, story by Kaz, based on the series SpongeBob SquarePants created by Stephen Hillenburg. Executive producers are Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller. Animation supervisor is Piero Piluso. Music by Moniker, music supervisor is Karyn Rachtman.
Starring Carolyn Lawrence, Tom Kenny, Wanda Sykes, Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, Mr. Lawrence, Rodger Bumpass, Johnny Knoxville, Craig Robinson, Grey DeLisle, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino and Matty Cardarople.
That Christmas
Based on the successful series of children’s books by BAFTA winner and Academy Award nominee Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Yesterday), Locksmith Animation’s heartwarming film marks the feature film directorial debut of renowned character animation and story artist veteran Simon Otto (Love, Death + Robots; How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) are producers.
That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys! Coming in 2024.
Thelma the Unicorn — First look image.
Thelma is a small-time pony who dreams of becoming a glamourous music star. In a pink and glitter-filled moment of fate, Thelma is transformed into a unicorn and instantly rises to global stardom. But this new life of fame comes at a cost.
Directed by Lynn Wang (Unikitty!) and Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), produced by Pam Coats. Coming in 2024.
Ultraman
Based on the beloved Japanese character, Netflix’s Ultraman follows baseball superstar Ken Sato as he returns to his home country of Japan to pick up the mantle of Earth-defending superhero Ultraman. He soon finds more than he bargained for when he’s forced to raise the offspring of his greatest foe. Ken must go on a heroic journey, balancing parenthood, his estranged father, and the relentless Kaiju Defense Force to rise beyond his ego and discover what it truly means to be Ultraman.
Directed by Shannon Tindle (Lost Ollie), co-directed by John Aoshima, written by Tindle and Marc Haimes, produced by Tom Knott and Lisa Poole. Production companies are Tsuburaya Productions and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM).
