Summary

• Franchises and familiar properties dominate the lineup of 2024 animated movies, with major studios and brands like Transformers and DC aiming to make a big splash in the animation landscape.
• Not all of these movies will be released in theaters, but whether they are on streaming, on demand, or playing in cinemas, the lineup of titles is full of potential.
• The highest-grossing animated movie of 2023 was The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Chris Pratt returns as the lead in another major animated movie in 2024, voicing Garfield in The Garfield Movie.

The 2024 release calendar includes a handful of notable animated movies for audiences to look forward to. It is fairly common for animated feature films to be among the biggest movies released each year. This is thanks to their mass appeal, especially to kids and families. Hollywood has made a concerted effort to appease the demand for more animated movies over the years, combining a mixture of original and adapted stories to do so. However, there has certainly been a rise in franchises and utilizing known IP in the animated side of the industry, with The Super Mario Bros. Movie being the biggest animated movie of 2023.

Franchises and familiar properties are once again set to be a recurring topic when it comes to the lineup of 2024 animated movies. Major studios like Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, DreamWorks, and Illumination all have new releases coming, but the number of original works coming from them is limited. There are also major franchises and brands like Transformers and DC that are hoping to make a big splash in the animation landscape in 2024. Not all of these movies will be released in theaters, but whether they are on streaming, on demand, or playing in cinemas, the lineup of titles is full of potential.

This list does not include any live-action/CGI animation hybrid releases

23 Justice League: Crisis On Infinite Earths Part One

Releases on January 8, 2024

Warner Bros. and DC confirmed plans to release Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths as an animated movie in 2024. The movie was announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 and is part of the Tomorrowverse franchise that began in 2020. It is an adaptation of the iconic 1980s storyline of the same name which sees the biggest DC heroes unite from across the multiverse to stop the Anti-Monitor from destroying all life. Two more parts of Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths are slated to be released at a later point in 2024 following the first part's direct-to-video release on January 8.

22 Orion and the Dark

Releases on February 2, 2024

DreamWorks and Netflix have partnered to release Orion and the Dark in 2024. The animated movie is an adaptation of Emma Yarlett's book of the same name. The script was adapted by Oscar-winning writer Charlie Kauffman with Sean Charmatz making his directorial debut with the movie. Orion and the Dark stars Jacob Tremblay as the young elementary school kid Orion, with Paul Walter Ha playing the embodiment of his fears, the Dark. The movie is confirmed to release on Netflix on February 2, 2024.

21 The Tiger's Apprentice

Releases on February 2, 2024

An animated adaptation of The Tiger's Apprentice is coming in 2024 courtesy of Paramount Animation. Based on the 2003 book by Laurence Yep, the movie is directed by Raman Hui, who has a long history in animation, including co-directing Shrek the Third. The voice cast is filled with recognizable talent, ranging from Henry Golding to Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, and Michelle Yeoh. Paramount originally planned to release The Tiger's Apprentice in theaters in 2022, but it was repeatedly delayed due to COVID-19 and will now be released exclusively on Paramount+.

20 Kung Fu Panda 4

Releases on March 8, 2024

The Kung Fu Panda franchise returns to the big screen eight years after its last movie with Kung Fu Panda 4's 2024 release. The sequel continues the adventures of Jack Black's Po as he encounters a new villain known as The Chameleon (voiced by Viola Davis). Kung Fu Panda 4 also chronicles Po's attempts to train a new Dragon Warrior played by Awkwafina, while several other familiar characters from the series will return. DreamWorks has given the movie a theatrical release date of March 29, 2024.

19 The Garfield Movie

Releases on May 24, 2024

After dominating the box office with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Chris Pratt returns as the lead of another major animated movie in 2024. He's scheduled to voice Garfield in The Garfield Movie. The voice cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson as Garfield's father, Nicholas Hoult as Garfield's owner Jon, and Harvey Guillén as Odie. The Garfield Movie's writer and director pairing of David Reynolds and Mark Dindal previously made The Emperor's New Groove and Chicken Little together. The film is now scheduled to release in theaters on May 24, 2024.

18 Inside Out 2

Releases on June 14, 2024

Pixar only has one animated movie releasing in 2024 after Disney delayed Elio to 2025, with Inside Out 2 set to be the studio's immediate focus. The sequel to 2016's boldly original story is once again focused on Riley's emotions. Amy Poehler's Joy leads the way, but the Inside Out 2 voice cast is noticeably different as Riley enters her teenage years. This is due to Disgust and Fear both being recast, as well as Maya Hawke ing the ensemble as Anxiety. Disney and Pixar have Inside Out 2 scheduled for release on June 14, 2024.

17 Despicable Me 4

Releases on July 3, 2024

2024 marks a big year for Illumination as Despicable Me 4's release signifies the return of its biggest franchise. Details on the sixth overall installment of the Despicable Me universe are fairly sparse, although it is known that main cast like Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, and Pierre Coffin will be back. Steve Coogan has also ed the cast in an unknown role. Illumination and Universal have given Despicable Me 4 a July 3, 2024 release date.

16 Transformers One

Releases on September 13, 2024

The Transformers franchise is returning to animation for the first time in 37 years with the release of Transformers One. The first film in a potential trilogy is set to explore the origin of the Transformers on Cybertron and show how Optimus Prime and Megatron go from best friends to mortal enemies. Instead of utilizing the same actors from the live-action franchise, Transformers One has Chris Hemsworth voicing Optimus Prime, Brian Tyree Henry voicing Megatron, Keegan-Michael Key voicing Bumblebee, and Scarlett Johansson voicing Elita-One. The movie, directed by Toy Story 4's Josh Cooley, is scheduled for a September 13, 2024, release.

15 The Wild Robot

Releases on September 20, 2024

Universal has plans to release an animated adaptation of The Wild Robot into theaters in 2024. Based on the book of the same name by Peter Brown published in 2016, The Wild Robot follows the story of a robot who gets stranded on an island and learns to survive and care for the native animals. No voice cast has been confirmed for the movie, but it is written and directed by Chris Sanders. He previously worked on How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, and Lilo & Stitch. Universal will release The Wild Robot in theaters on September 20, 2024.

14 Untitled Walt Disney Animation Studios Movie

Releases on November 27, 2024

Walt Disney Animation Studios has a confirmed animated movie releasing in 2024. However, it has yet to be revealed which title this will be. There are many animated Disney movies in development that do not have release dates. Even considering how secretive Disney is about their slate, more information on the mysterious feature film should become known sooner rather than later if this date is intended to be met.