From Minions to Shrek: animation giants line up for 2026-2027
The huge success achieved in the first months of the year by Super Mario Galaxy - The Movie — which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide — and now the triumphant launch of Toy Story 5, with $312 million globally in its opening weekend, bode well for the box office and packed theaters in the second half of 2026 and throughout 2027, a period expected to be filled with animated films.
The first challenger to Pixar/Disney's toy heroes will arrive on July 1 with Minions & Monsters by Pierre Coffin, featuring Illumination/Universal's mischievous yellow creatures causing new comic disasters as they attempt to conquer Hollywood, CE Report quotes ANSA.
Among the highlights is a voice cameo by George Lucas in the original version.
On August 28, the long-awaited Coyote vs. Acme by Dave Green will debut in the United States. The film, previously canceled by Warner Bros. before finding a new distributor, combines live action and CGI and features the stars of the Looney Tunes universe.
In September, the heroic pups return to cinemas in Paw Patrol: Dino Mission by Cal Brunker. This time, the puppy team finds itself on a tropical island inhabited by dinosaurs.
On September 24, DreamWorks will release The Island of Memories by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado. The story follows lifelong friends Jo and Raissa who, before going their separate ways after high school, discover a mysterious portal leading to a fantastic and dangerous island.
On October 22 comes Wildwood by Travis Knight, a new stop-motion animated film from Laika. Based on the novel by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, it follows Prue McKeel, a determined teenager whose younger brother is kidnapped by a flock of crows, prompting a desperate rescue mission.
Also arriving in October in several countries is Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, in which Shaun and the flock must deal with the destruction of a pumpkin patch during Halloween.
Italian filmmaker Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja bring The Cat in the Hat to theaters on November 5, Warner Bros.' first animated adaptation of the classic book by Dr. Seuss. The famous cat faces his toughest mission yet: cheering up siblings Gabby and Sebastian as they struggle to adapt to life in a new city.
Disney returns on November 26 with Hexe: The Kingdom of Witches by Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand. The story centers on Billie, an impulsive and unconventional teenager who accidentally enters the magical kingdom of Hexe and uncovers family secrets connected to the world of witches.
On December 2, France will see the debut of Asterix and the Kingdom of Nubia by Alexandre Heboyan. The indomitable Gauls are transformed into harmless children after a rare youth potion accidentally ends up in the village's magical brew.
Looking ahead to early 2027, Angry Birds 3 by John Rice is expected to arrive at the start of the year. On February 4, audiences will get Ice Age: Boiling Point by John C. Donkin, featuring Manny, Diego, Sid, Buck and Ellie on a wild journey through dinosaurs and lava in unexplored parts of the Lost World.
On March 24, Italian director Enrico Casarosa (director of Luca) will return to the world of cats with Gatto.
Finally, summer 2027 is expected to feature at least four major animated blockbusters: Shrek 5 by Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon; The Bluey Movie by Joe Brumm and Richard Jeffery; Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse by Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson; and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 by Yashar Kassai, Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears.
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