2024 is another stacked year for animation. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most anticipated animated features expected to come out in 2024.
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00:00 "It was against an army!"
00:02 "Dead!"
00:04 "Then we'll just have to get an army of our own."
00:07 Welcome to Ms. Mojo,
00:09 and today we're counting down our picks for the most anticipated animated features expected to come out in 2024.
00:15 Release dates are subject to change, especially in a business as unpredictable as animation.
00:20 "Orange? Who made the console orange?"
00:23 "Do I look orange?"
00:24 "I didn't touch it."
00:25 "Orange is not my color."
00:26 "Not me."
00:27 "Hello!"
00:28 "Ahh!"
00:30 Number 10. The Tiger's Apprentice
00:33 Blending Chinese mythology and a contemporary San Francisco backdrop,
00:37 Laurence Yepp's 2003 novel leapt off the pages with ideas tailor-made for a visual medium.
00:42 Cartoon Network began developing a live-action animated hybrid adaptation 15 years ago.
00:48 After that version was abandoned, along with Cartoon Network's focus on live-action projects,
00:52 the source material eventually reached Paramount.
00:55 "Are you ready to begin your training?"
00:58 DreamWorks alumnus Raman Hui is helming The Tiger's Apprentice,
01:01 with a script from Christopher L. Yost and David Magee.
01:04 Ironically, the latter wrote another film about a boy and a tiger, Life of Pi.
01:09 "Words are all I have left to hang on to. Everything mixed up, fragmented.
01:16 Can't tell daydreams, nightdreams from reality anymore."
01:23 Assembling an all-star ensemble including Henry Golding, Sandra Oh, and Michelle Yeoh,
01:28 this action-fantasy will debut on Paramount+.
01:31 After such a long journey to the screen, we're eager to see what shape the film takes.
01:36 "Mess with a tiger, you get the cloth."
01:38 "What? That's not a thing."
01:40 "Yes, it is."
01:41 "No, it isn't. No one says that."
01:42 "Tigers do."
01:43 Number 9. The Wild Robot
01:45 Chris Sanders is a name sure to ignite excitement within any animation fan.
01:49 He made his feature directorial debut with Dean DeBlois on Lilo & Stitch.
01:54 "New job. Model citizen. Good day."
02:00 Moving from Disney to DreamWorks, he went on to direct the first How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods.
02:06 Making his live-action directorial debut in 2020's The Call of the Wild,
02:10 Sanders is returning to animation with another film about nature.
02:14 "It wasn't the gold. He didn't care about that. It was the mountains.
02:17 He spent all day looking at maps and pictures of the mountains,
02:21 dreaming about what was on the other side."
02:24 Marking his first fully animated feature in over a decade,
02:27 The Wild Robot reunites Sanders and DreamWorks.
02:30 Based on the best-selling illustrated book by Peter Brown,
02:33 this buddy's survival picture follows a robot stranded on a deserted island with a lonely gosling.
02:38 The premise sounds well-suited for Sanders, who has a knack for telling stories about worlds colliding.
02:43 "Thumbs out. All we needed was a little wife. This. You just gestured to all of me."
02:50 #8 Fixed
02:52 Genny Tartakovsky has few limits as an animator.
02:55 He's entertained families through shows like Dexter's Lab and movies like Hotel Transylvania.
03:00 Tartakovsky has also tapped into the adult animation demographic with Samurai Jack, Primal, and Unicorn Warriors Eternal.
03:08 "You're one person, and then all of a sudden you're somebody else, right?
03:12 And that's a metaphor for growing up."
03:14 Fixed continues Tartakovsky's string of adult-oriented projects, but it returns to his comedy roots.
03:20 The setup echoes A Demented Lady and the Tramp as a bloodhound named Bull finds himself falling for a show dog.
03:26 "Oh, and we're all very impressed, right guys?"
03:30 "Very impressed."
03:32 As bad timing would have it, it appears that Bull is about to be neutered.
03:35 The humor draws inspiration from the likes of Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, and Judd Apatow.
03:40 For those who only associate hand-drawn animation with kid stuff, this film might just fix your perception.
03:46 "And I really believe in, kind of, uh, in destiny or fate. When I do work, you know, you can't predict anything."
03:53 #7 Orion and the Dark
03:56 Charlie Kaufman's films always have an animated personality,
03:59 but he wouldn't dive headfirst into the medium until he co-directed 2015's Anomalisa.
04:04 DreamWorks' Orion and the Dark may be more family-friendly than his previous work,
04:09 but the premise tackles a theme that's often prevalent in Kaufman's work - anxiety.
04:13 "Girls in general being responsible for my team losing."
04:16 "Giving the wrong answer in class. Richie Panicci."
04:20 The titular Orion, voiced by Jacob Tremblay, is scared of virtually everything, most notably the dark.
04:26 Orion faces his literal worst nightmare when he's whisked away by the personification of darkness,
04:31 voiced by Paul Walter Hauser.
04:33 "Orion, I'm gonna get you to overcome your fears if it kills me. And I'm immortal, by the way, so I've got all the time in the world."
04:41 Once Orion becomes better acquainted with the dark, though, he may find that there's nothing to be terrified of.
04:47 Kaufman's screenplay is based on Emma Yarlett's children's book,
04:50 while Daytime Emmy nominee Sean Charmatz makes his feature directorial debut.
04:55 "Are you in or are you in?"
04:57 "I'm...
04:59 [Screams]
05:00 Number 6. The Garfield movie.
05:03 There was a period where Garfield was everywhere, from the funny pages to TV to car windows across America.
05:09 The only frontier that this cultural icon struggled to conquer was the big screen,
05:13 receiving two less-than-stellar live-action movies.
05:16 "You know, I think I had a nightmare like this once."
05:20 [Screams]
05:22 We're sure that Bill Murray was happy to pass the torch to Chris Pratt,
05:25 who voices Garfield in his first cinematic animated feature.
05:29 In a plot somewhat reminiscent of Garfield on the Town,
05:32 the story finds the domesticated cat torn between his owner John, Nicholas Holt,
05:36 and his estranged family, with Samuel L. Jackson voicing Garfield's father.
05:40 "You ever jumped a train?"
05:42 "I've never jumped."
05:44 "Here's that stop!"
05:45 Directed by Mark Dindal of Cats Don't Dance and The Emperor's New Groove,
05:48 we're already clearing our Mondays to watch this film.
05:51 The snack bar better have lasagna, though.
05:54 "I apologize in advance. The eating you're about to see will not be pretty."
05:58 #5. Harold and the Purple Crayon
06:01 A love for animation often stems from an obsession with drawing.
06:04 As such, we bet that a lot of animators were inspired
06:07 by Crockett Johnson's classic children's book growing up.
06:10 The simple yet expressive drawings have taught generations
06:13 about the power of imagination,
06:15 which can be unleashed through a single crayon.
06:18 "He went on drawing tracks and birds and flowers,
06:22 and he had to keep looking out for trains.
06:24 It was a big job for a small boy."
06:27 Harold and the Purple Crayon has already inspired multiple short films
06:31 and a Daytime Emmy-winning animated series.
06:34 In 2024, Harold will draw his way into a Broadway musical and a feature film,
06:39 the latter of which combines live action and animation.
06:41 #5. Oscar-nominee Carlos Saldana of Blue Sky Studios
06:46 Oscar-nominee Carlos Saldana of Blue Sky Studios is overseeing this film,
06:51 starring Zachary Levi and Zooey Deschanel.
06:53 Much remains unknown, but in the vein of the titular Purple Crayon,
06:57 the possibilities are endless.
06:59 "Harold knew Lilac was onto something,
07:02 but he couldn't see where she was going."
07:07 #4. Kung Fu Panda 4
07:10 Kung Fu Panda 3 wrapped up Poe's journey as the Dragon Warrior on a satisfying note.
07:14 The long-awaited fourth installment will see the hungry panda adopt a new role
07:18 as the Valley of Peace's spiritual leader.
07:20 "Dinner, please. Dinner with peas in a sesame-salt glaze."
07:25 "This is not working at all."
07:27 The story sees Poe mature from student to mentor as he trains the next Dragon Warrior.
07:32 Our heroes must also go up against a shapeshifting chameleon voiced by Viola Davis,
07:36 who seeks to steal Poe's staff of wisdom.
07:39 With this power, Chameleon plots to summon foes from Poe's past,
07:42 such as Ian McShane as Tai Lung.
07:44 "Once I possess the Kung Fu of every master villain,
07:48 no one will dare question my power."
07:51 In addition to series mainstays like Jack Black,
07:54 Kung Fu Panda 4 introduces Awkwafina as a Corsac fox and Kihui Kwan as a master thief.
08:00 We're ready for another fistful of awesome.
08:03 "What is it you're holding?"
08:04 "A cookie?"
08:05 "You were chosen to become something more than you already are."
08:09 #3. The Day the Earth Blew Up, a Looney Tunes Movie
08:16 The Looney Tunes have taken center stage in several feature films,
08:19 although most of them have either been compilations of their shorts or live-action hybrids.
08:24 The Day the Earth Blew Up stands out as the first theatrical Looney Tunes movie
08:28 not to rely on existing footage or live-action co-stars.
08:31 "I'm a stuntman."
08:32 "Ha! You a stuntman? Please!"
08:34 "I am! Did you see those Mummy movies? I'm in them more than Brendan Fraser is."
08:39 Daffy and Porky star in this alien invasion comedy,
08:43 which pays homage to The Day the Earth Stood Still and Duck Dodgers.
08:46 The film also marks something of a comeback for Petunia Pig, Porky's rarely seen love interest.
08:51 "I mean, you have to see, a big theory that just because I'm a pig,
08:55 I'm automatically gonna fall in love with the first pig that I..."
08:58 Director Peter Braungart has already proven his love for the franchise
09:03 through the Looney Tunes cartoon series.
09:05 His foray into feature should be a loony good time,
09:08 assuming Warner Bros. doesn't shelve it as a tax write-off.
09:11 "That nefarious nimrod nicks my nearest and dearest from ToonWild!"
09:15 "Riders of Rohan! What news from the mob?"
09:23 Peter Jackson's trilogy may be the definitive adaptation,
09:27 but Ralph Bakshi's 1978 rotoscoped version has been gaining more of a following.
09:32 The War of the Rohirrim returns the franchise to animation with a few new twists.
09:36 This prequel borrows visual cues from the Jackson trilogy,
09:39 even bringing back actors like Miranda Otto as Eowyn.
09:42 "I fear neither death nor pain."
09:44 "What do you fear, my lady?"
09:47 "A cage."
09:52 What sets this film apart from past adaptations is an ambitious anime inspiration.
09:57 Director Kenji Kamiyama took a similar approach to Blade Runner through the Black Lotus series.
10:01 "What are you going to do with that?"
10:03 "Hey!"
10:07 "Huh?" "Yoshi."
10:09 "Wakatta yo."
10:10 Warner Bros. Animation is teaming up with Japanese animation studio Sola Entertainment,
10:15 enlisting a cast led by Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, the ninth king of Rohan.
10:20 As you might have guessed, Helm's Deep was also named after him, and this film demonstrates why.
10:25 "Yes."
10:26 "The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep."
10:33 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:37 Despicable Me 4. We could use our minion fix right about now.
10:41 "Grrr."
10:42 "Hey, Mal! Welcome back."
10:45 [Cheering]
10:47 Saving Bikini Bottom, the Sandy Cheeks movie.
10:51 Never mess with a karate chopping squirrel from Texas.
10:54 [Screaming]
10:57 "You're in the soup now, Udon!"
11:02 Spellbound.
11:03 Shrek co-director Vicky Jensen helms the next film from Skydance Animation.
11:07 "Attention all fairy tale things. Do not get comfortable."
11:14 Night of the Zoopocalypse.
11:15 Zombie night at the zoo? Why isn't that a thing?
11:18 "It's unsanitary. The penguins are gone, so why can't I?"
11:23 "The penguins are psychotic."
11:25 Thelma the Unicorn.
11:26 Being a unicorn isn't all rainbows, sunshine, and unicorns.
11:30 "We are as old as the sky, old as the moon. We can be hunted, trapped, we can even be killed if we leave our forests, but we do not vanish."
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11:57 Number 1. Inside Out 2.
12:00 Now that The Incredibles finally got a sequel, Inside Out is the film that's left many Pixar fans demanding more.
12:06 "Hey guys, what's puberty?"
12:08 "I don't know. It's probably not important."
12:11 It's taken almost a decade, but we're finally delving back into Riley's ever-expanding mind.
12:17 Now a teenager, Riley's head must make room for new emotions such as anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawk.
12:23 "Where can I put my stuff?"
12:24 "A new emotion! Wow!"
12:26 "Oh, I'm sorry. We wanted to make such a good first impression."
12:30 Yes, we've seen shows like Big Mouth personify anxiety, but if the first Inside Out proved anything,
12:35 it doesn't matter if an idea has been done before. It's the execution that matters.
12:40 And if Inside Out 2 can capture the creative and emotional honesty of its predecessor,
12:45 we guarantee that it'll feel as if we're hearing these ideas for the first time.
12:49 For now, the only emotion we're experiencing is anticipation.
12:53 "Okay, let's clear it all out. It's demo day!"
12:57 Which animated film are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments.
13:02 "Frankly, you're on a whole different level."
13:05 "You're keeping a list?"
13:06 "Yes, I'm keeping a list!"
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13:17 [Music]