Our Most Anticipated Animated Films of 2021

OUR MOST ANTICIPATED ANIMATED FILMS OF 2021

11/1/2021

Before we get started, let's address the elephant in the room. If you have been a follower of this blog for over a year, you should notice that almost half of this list was apart of our 2020 most anticipated. Thanks to the effects of that pesky COVID-19 many of the films that were slated for 2020 got bumped into 2021. And with the global pandemic still pending here's hoping everything listed here will see the light of day this year.

Raya and the Last Dragon

Since we first learnt of Raya and the Last Dragon and had it listed as one of our most anticipated animated films of 2020, a lot had happened. The film got 2 delays, a change of lead voices actress, 2 additional directors, and the arrival of a tiny little global pandemic to top it all off. Now set for a March 2021 release, Raya and the Last Dragon still remained our number one most anticipated animated film this year.

bob's burger the movie

We were looking forward to the Belcher's Cinematic debut last year but was hit with year's delay and a season renewal instead. The movie is currently scheduled for an April 9 release date and with all of the regular cast members reprising their roles. And that's pretty much all we know about the film at this time, but if it's anything like the TV show, we can't wait.

Earwig and the Witch

Looking at recent animated films Dragon Quest: Your Story and The Lupin the Third: The First, we love love LOVE what Japanese studios are doing with CGI. Now arguably Japan's most famous animation studio Studio Ghibli is set to premiere their first movie in 6 years, and it's all done in CGI. Looking at the trailer, it already looks stunning.

luca

Averaging 2 films a year, Pixar is arguably the hardest working animation studio on the planet right now, and with the successful premiere of Soul, all eyes now turn to their next work in the pipeline, Luca. This coming-of-age story set in Italy follows the friendship between two boys, one of which happens to be a sea monster, over the course of a summer.

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Illumination Entertainment's mega-popular, mega-rich Despicable Me franchise was on schedule to keep on trucking in 2020 with a brand new prequel. The plot is all about the origin story of Gru (The franchise main supervillain) and how the minions began serving him. Expect the usual wacky charm of the minions when it premieres this July 2.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

The original Space Jam is one of my favourite movies of all time largely down to the fact that it saw simply mind-blowing to see the Looney Toons team up with one of the best basketball players of all time. Fast forward almost 20 years, and then it's happening again with a much-anticipated sequel that sees yet another Basketball legend/Looney Toons team-up. Here's hoping the official soundtrack will also be as good as the first movie.

Sing 2

Who doesn't like anthropomorphic singing animals? Even so, Illumination's Sing was a revelation when it premiered back in 2016 and rightfully deserved a sequel. This sequel sees most of the cast returning — such as Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane — for a second outing that sounds very much like the first: this time, the characters are taking their musical acts to the big city. Unfortunately, with The Rise of Gru now releasing in the Summer, this movie has been bumped to Christmas.

Wish Dragon

And finally, we end with a film that we have no idea when it will be released despite being completed and ready. With the famous Jackie Chan having a hand in production, it was indeed a project that piqued our curiosity. So similar to the fiasco surrounding the release of SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run, can we please just have this movie be released already!

And there you have it, 8 animated movies to circle on your calendar. We will also shine a little light on our 'honourable mentions'. The likes of Boss Baby: The Family Business, Hotel Transylvania 4 and the previously mentioned Sponge on the Run, all set for a 2021 premier as well. Of course, again, all dates are subject to the events surrounding that pesky COVID-19.

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