CinemaCon: Warner Bros. Pictures Animation Teases Slate of Updated Classics and New Originals

At the Warner Bros. presentation for this week’s CinemaCon, there was plenty of action for upcoming live-action spectacles such as Superman, F1 and The Bride, but toon lovers will also be glad to hear reports of a strong showing for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.

President Bill Damaschke announced a “new commitment to theatrical animation” in introducing the showcase, which included teases for many of the titles announced when he was appointed to his studio position back in 2023. Some titles spotted:

• Kicking off Warner’s “Seussiverse” is The Cat in the Hat theatrical feature, slated for release on March 6, 2026. The film is written and directed by Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja, and stars Bill Hader as The Cat (who dropped in on the presentation to intro an unfinished early trailer), Quinta Brunson,  Bowen Yang, Xochitl Gomez, Matt Berry and Paula Pell. Produced in association with Dr. Seuss Enterprises; DNEG is handling the animation.
• Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Place You’ll Go! was announced for a March 17, 2028 release at the start of this year. The feature is directed by Jon M. Chu and animation veteran Jill Culton, with a screenplay by Rob Lieber and original songs by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. Produced with Dr. Seuss Ent. and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot.
• Locksmith Animation’s Bad Fairies, which last year was announced for a July 2027 release, is a “subversive musical comedy”  featuring songs by the creators of Tony winner Six, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Centaurworld creator Megan Nicole Dong directs the tale written by Deborah Frances-White, which is set in modern-day London and follows a gang of rule-breaking fairies.
• Margie Claus, a holiday musical comedy marking Melissa McCarthy‘s animation debut, is tooling along to be unwrapped on November 5, 2027. The film was previously announced in 2019 to be directed by McCarthy’s husband and collaborator, Ben Falcone, before being quietly dropped and then resurrected in the Warner Bros. Pictures Animation rejiggering. Animator Shane Prigmore is now reportedly at the helm.
• Out of DC Studios’ Batman universe, Dynamic Duo will be a mixed-media action-adventure featuring two Robins, Dick Grayson (Nightwing) and Jason Todd (Red Hood). The pic received a release date of June 30, 2028 in December. Produced with puppet animation shop Swaybox Studios and Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho, the pic is directed by Swaybox co-founder Arthur Mintz and written by Oscar winner Matthew Aldrich (Coco).
• Meet the Flintstones is still in development. Based on the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning classic The Flintstones, the pic is written by The Super Mario Bros. Movie director duo Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.

The appearance of Bugs Bunny in the animation slate teaser heightened anticipation for another write-off Looney Tunes movie. The inclusion of this legacy WB animation star comes after repeated blows to aforementioned legacy by the studio, including wiping the classic Looney Tunes from Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streamer and the demolition of an old LT studio building on the Burbank lot.

Having rescued the abandoned The Day the Earth Stood Still and, more recently, Coyote vs. Acme, Ketchup Ent. could be earmarking some funds for another pick-up….