8 Animated Films Coming to Netflix To Add to Your Watch List

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It’s crazy to think that the piece of technology humans used to literally center their entire living rooms around, AKA televisions, are pretty much considered obsolete, and are now being replaced by a slew of different screens, of all sizes and dimensions, that simultaneously serve as a gateway to endless entertainment by way of the subscription-based streaming service, Netflix.

Fresh off its Academy Award win for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio at the 80th edition of the Golden Globes last year, Netflix has just recently announced plans to continue its foray into the world of animation by adding eight new titles to its already rich catalog of series and films over the next 18-months.

With seven Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature already under its belt, the US streaming giant is now the most decorated animation studio in the industry, surpassing renowned production companies like Pixar, DreamWorks, and Walt Disney. With its continued investment in this specific pocket of audiovisual content, Netflix is not only expanding its audience, furthering its reach and producing higher-than-ever standards of film, but also redefining an entire industry as a whole step-by-step.

As the line between traditional and digital animation continues to blur, the streaming service is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in animation and paving the way for new voices and styles to emerge, so grab your popcorn and get ready for what Netflix has in store for loyal subscribers and animation lovers in the coming months.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Chicken Run

Director: Sam Fell

Release date: Winter 2023

Synopsis: “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 Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, 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!”

Leo

Director: Robert Smigel, Robert Marianetti, David Wachtenheim

Release date: Fall 2023

Synopsis: “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…”

In Your Dreams

Director: Alex Woo

Release date: 2024

Synopsis: “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.”

The Monkey King

THE MONKEY KING animated film
THE MONKEY KING – (L-R) LIN (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and MONKEY KING (Jimmy O. Yang). Cr: Netflix © 2023

Director: Anthony Stacchi

Release date: Summer 2023

Synopsis: “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.”

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie

Director: Liza Johnson

Release date: 2024

Synopsis: “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.”

That Christmas

Director: Simon Otto

Release date: 2024

Synopsis: “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). 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! Nicole P. Hearon (Moana, Frozen) and Adam Tandy (The Thick of It, Detectorists) are producers.”

Thelma The Unicorn

Director: Jared Hess, Lynn Wang

Release date: 2024

Synopsis: “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. Thelma the Unicorn is a hilarious, quirky and heartfelt ride from directors Lynn Wang (Unikitty!) and Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite).”

Ultraman

Director: Shannon Tindle

Release date: 2024

Synopsis: “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.”

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