While animation may not take up as much space on the roster out of the hundreds of films that come out of Hollywood every year, the ones that do break out onto the big screen and major streaming platforms reliably stick out in the hearts and minds of both audiences and critics. From original passion projects to studio sequels to small studio projects, animated films come in a wide variety due to the very nature of the medium and can range from character-driven comedies to high-concept spectacles.
In the 20 years since the medium has entered the major awards race with the advent of the Best Animated Feature Oscar, animated films have sought to advance further and further every year in their technological prowess and storytelling finesse to earn critical prestige. This year has already been a standout year for animated films so here are ten of the most hotly anticipated toons of ‘22!
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8. DC League of Super-Pets
In concept alone,DC League of Super-Petshas the makings of a family, four-quadrant audience pleaser.Dwayne “The Rock” Johnsonstars as Krypto the Superdog, who leads a team of shelter pets, newly gifted with fantastic powers, to save the Justice League and become unlikely heroes of Metropolis. From the creative team ofJohn WhittingtonandJared Stern, who have lovingly lampooned the DC Universe previously withThe LEGO Batman Movie,Super-Petslooks to combine the celebrity-voice animal hijinks ofThe Secret Life of Petswith a comic book genre self-awareness that will make for a fun family night at the movies.Super-Petsis set to come to theaters on June 27, 2025.
7. Wendell and Wild
From legendary directorHenry Selick(The Nightmare Before Christmas,Coraline),Wendell and Wildhas been in development for over half a decade and has finally found a home on Netflix in 2022. StarringKeegan-Michael KeyandJordan Peeleas a duo of demonic con-men brothers,Wendell and Wildis set to combine otherworldly macabre with fantastical silliness, all in painstakingly immaculate stop-motion animation.The film premiered a clip at Netflix Geeked Weekshowing one of the protagonists Kat (Lyric Ross) in the film; there is still no release date.
6. Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
Now an Amazon Prime Video exclusive,Hotel Transylvania: Transformaniais the fourth in Sony Pictures Animation’sHotel Transylvaniaseries. AlthoughGenndy Tartakovskyhas turned over directing duties in favor of writing for the third sequel, the film does make good on the kinetically elastic animation he had instilled in the previous films to deliver another laugh-a-minute cartoon comedy that follows the Drac Pack as they make their way to undo a scientific mishap that transformed them into mere humans. The film also serves as the theatrical debut for YouTube impressionist and voice actorBrian Hullas he takes over the role of Dracula fromAdam Sandler.
5. The Bob’s Burgers Movie
After over a decade sinceWinnie the Pooh(2011), the grand tradition of hand-drawn animated films from Disney returns in a singularly unexpected way. With over 200 TV episodes in counting,The Bob’s Burgers Moviewill catapult the Fox cult-hitBob’s Burgersonto the big screen for the first time ever in a musical comedy helmed by creatorLoren Bouchard. Fans of the off-color cartoon got tosee the Belcher family sing and dance their way through a musicalmis-adventure eleven years in the making.
4. Pinocchio
The world of streaming will be seeing double of the little wooden boy this year withRobert Zemeckis’ live-action remakeof the 1940 animated classic on Disney+ andGuillermo Del Toro’s long-gestating stop-motion adaptationof the original book for Netflix. Set in 1930s fascist Italy, Del Toro’s version promises to be a darker and more twisted version of theCarlo Colloditale and features an all-star voice cast, includingEwan McGregor,Christoph Waltz,andCate Blanchett. With a screenplay byOver the Garden Wall’sPatrick McHale,Pinocchiowill newly carve its own edge out of the living puppet.
In the vein ofDespicable Me,Megamind,andWreck-It-Ralph, DreamWorks Animation’sThe Bad Guysposits what would happen if a villain wanted to change their lot in life for the better and become good. Based on the book series byAaron Blabey, the film follows a ragtag pack of the most famously feared members of the animal kingdom (wolf, shark, snake, spider, snake) as they try to turn over a new leaf from a life of crime to become model citizens. The film represents a stylistic shift from DreamWorks’ most recent efforts by incorporating high-speed flourishes in animation and traditionally expressive designs.
2. Turning Red
DirectorDomee Shi’s Oscar-winning short filmBaobecame an instant favorite among the canon of Pixar’s animated shorts, using Chinese cultural symbols and brilliant allegory to tell a universal family story.Turning Reddoes much of the same in following 13-year-old Mei (Rosalie Chiang) as she learns to survive middle school amidst the discovery of her family’s mystical lineage. When Mei gets flustered, she transforms into a giant red panda in an explosion of fur and emotions.Turning Redisa touching and hilarious coming-of-age storythat only Pixar could pull off.
1. Lightyear
From the first Avenger to Space Ranger,Chris Evansis trading in his vibranium shield for terillium-carbonic alloy wings inLightyear. FromFinding Doryco-directorAngus MacLane,Lightyearfully realizes the true-blue space hero first introduced in toy-form in the originalToy Story. The film will star Evans as the “real” Buzz Lightyear that inspired the toy we all know and love from Andy’s room in an origin story set for infinity and beyond. A sci-fi adventure unlike anything Pixar has done before,Lightyearwill set a new technical standard for the studio through its breathtakingly believable, yet still expressive animation.
