Every Upcoming Animated Movie To Be Released In 2020

Several animated movies failed to make a big splash in 2019, with notable exceptions that include Frozen II and Toy Story 4. However, 2020 is looking much brighter for fans of the genre, with upcoming massive releases from virtually every major animation studio in Hollywood. What’s more, even some of your favorite characters from TV are hitting the big screen this year.

If you love animated movies and can’t wait for what 2020 will bring, look no further. There are a lot of interesting and exciting animated projects to forward to this year, and we’ve got them all covered.

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON

The Walt Disney Animation Studios is finally entering the fantasy genre of dragons and hidden realms. In 2020, the studio is releasing Raya and the Last Dragon, which will follow a warrior (voiced by Cassie Steele) searching for a water dragon (voiced by Awkwafina). According to the synopsis provided by Disney, this dragon is supposed to be the last of its kind, making it particularly rare.

If you’re a fan of animated movies, the plot of Raya and the Last Dragon may sound like a mixture between Rioand How To Train Your Dragon. However, Disney’s recent track record proves that the studio has been incredibly innovative and has made successful bets. Raya and the Last Dragon is scheduled for a November 25, 2020 release.

ONWARD

It’s 2020, and it’s time for a new original Pixar movie! Featuring the voices of none other than Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, and Lena Waithe, Onward is being written and directed by Dan Scanlon, who wrote and directed 2013’s Monsters University. The film will follow a young elf and his brother going on a quest in their magical world.

Onward is set to be released on March 6, 2020 in the United States, just before the spring season officially starts. Hopefully, we’ll get another huge Pixar hit to cherish for years to come!

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU

When it comes to the 2010s, it’s hard to get much bigger than the Despicable Me franchise, which also kick-started the standalone Minions movies. On July 3, 2020, Illumination is scheduled to release Minions: The Rise of Gru. Essentially, the movie will tell the story of how Gru met his minions, bridging the gap between the Minions prequel (which took place before they met Gru) and the first Despicable Me film (when Gru was already their leader).

However, make no mistake: we probably won’t get the full story involving Gru and his minions, leaving room for a third Minions installment in the future. Instead, The Rise of Gru will focus on a very young Gru meeting the minions for the first time.

SOUL

This year, we will have not one, but two new original Pixar movies. Scheduled for a June 19, 2020 release, Soul is being directed by Pete Docter, the man behind Monsters, Inc., Up, and Inside Out.

It certainly seems like Soul will tackle more adult topics and cater to an older audience, as the movie will follow a jazz musician who is separated from his soul. With that said, like Up, we can definitely count on Pixar to find a way to make the movie palatable to audiences of all ages. However, it does feel like this is a more mature-skewing release from the studio.

TROLLS WORLD TOUR

In 2020, DreamWorks Animation is finally releasing the sequel to its 2016 hit movie Trolls.

With a release date scheduled for April 17, 2020, Trolls World Touris bringing back Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick) and Branch (voiced by Justin Timberlake) for a new singalong adventure filled with great songs and colorful characters. This time, Poppy and Branch will find out that they are only one of many tribes, and that other lands devote themselves to different genres of music. Exploring pop, rock, country, techno, classical music, and funk, Trolls World Tour is poised to be a huge treat for music fans.

SCOOB!

After so many years of fans asking “Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you?”, it seems like Hanna-Barbera’s most famous dog (along with his mystery-solving team) is finally returning to the big screen.

With a release date set for May 15, 2020, Scoob!is giving these beloved characters the 3-D animation treatment for the first time ever. The film’s star-studded voice cast includes Will Forte (Shaggy), Zac Efron (Fred), Amanda Seyfried (Daphne), and Gina Rodriguez (Velma). Scoob! is a project from the Warner Animation Group, the same studio behind The Lego Moviefranchise.

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE ON THE RUN

It’s official: SpongeBob SquarePants is coming back to theaters this year!

Unlike 2015’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, which focused on these beloved characters merging with live-action settings, 2020’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run will keep the journey underwater. What’s more, Sponge on the Run is poised to be the first movie featuring the titular character that utilizes computer-generated animation rather than 2-D animation. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is scheduled to hit the theaters on May 22, 2020.

BOB’S BURGERS: THE MOVIE

After many years in the making, the long-rumored Bob’s Burgers: The Movie is finally coming out on July 17, 2020.

Fans of the show can expect to see all of their favorite characters on the big screen, including the entire Belcher family and Teddy. What’s more, it’s been confirmed that Bob’s Burgers: The Movie will feature original songs and a subplot that involves Louise and Kuchi Kopi.

WISH DRAGON

Sony Pictures Animation, which is now best known for 2018’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, is releasing an original feature film in 2020 titled Wish Dragon.

Featuring the voices of Jackie Chan, Constance Wu, and John Cho, Wish Dragon will feature a ‘genie in a bottle’ storyline set in modern-day China. The film still has no official release date, but it is expected to come out simultaneously in the United States and in China.

THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES

The other release from Sony Pictures Animation this year is The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which has a release date scheduled for September 18, 2020.

All in all, The Mitchells vs. The Machines will follow a family road trip that is interrupted by a tech uprising. Despite the fact that this movie is flying under a lot of people’s radars, it is poised to be a pretty big release from a major animation studio. Moreover, unlike Wish Dragon, this movie has been given a tentative release date.

THE WILLOUGHBYS

This year, Netflix will be fighting for a spot among the major animation studios in Hollywood. With a tentative release date for spring of 2020, The Willoughbys is an animated movie based on the novels of the same name by Lois Lowry.

Featuring a voice cast that includes Ricky Gervais, Maya Rudolph, Will Forte, and Terry Crews, The Willoughbys is poised to become the first major animated film release from Netflix.

THE CROODS 2

Since the first The Croods movie was released in 2013, there has been ongoing speculation about a sequel. However, the team at DreamWorks Animation has apparently changed its mind quite a few times. For instance, this sequel was canceled in 2016, but was brought back to pre-production in 2017.

As it stands, The Croods 2is scheduled to be released on December 23, 2020. The most recent news to have come out of DreamWorks Animation is that Star Warsactress Kelly Marie Tran joined the sequel’s voice cast in late 2019.