The return of Space Jam has turned a lot of fans’ heads for the past couple of years that it has been in production, and it will finally see release in 2021. However, that’s far from the only thing that fans of animation have to look forward to in the next 12 months.
Between a handful of animated studios that always deliver the goods every year, whether it’s a goofy cast of animals in a Dreamworks animation or a radical idea from Pixar, there are the usual suspects gearing up for some big releases. But with a mix of expected sequels, surprising musicals, and adaptations of beloved TV shows, 2021 is chockablock full of colorful, animated goodness.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
It has been a long time since the beloved original movie was released, so if anybody is more excited for this animated movie, it’s 90s kids who are now in their late 20s and early 30s.
Although Space Jam: A New Legacy is massively exciting to fans of the original, who are hoping that Michael Jordan will make a reappearance, there is also a lot that this generation’s youth have to look forward to, including a starring role from LeBron James.
Tom & Jerry
Since mixing age-old animated characters with live-action footage is insanely popular right now, the upcoming Tom & Jerry movie isn’t the first to do it and it definitely won’t be the last.
However, though there are already many Tom & Jerry movies, it’s been a long time since viewers have seen these classic characters in such a big way. It’s exciting to see how it’ll look, even if the animated violence will most likely be toned down.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is one of the many movies to be delayed by COVID-19 and one of the many, many sequels to be released of the year. There’s a surprising amount of hype surrounding the sequel as the first movie was a sleeper hit and was the subject of some hilarious counter-programming.
The movie was well-received by audiences, even if critics did complain that James Corden was massively miscast. On the plus side, the sequel does look like it will be delivering more of the same cutesy slapstick fun.
The Boss Baby: Family Business
Though it might be one of the most overrated animated movies to be released in recent years, there’s still a lot to love about the original The Boss Baby.
This time, Alec Baldwin will be joined by another Boss Baby, Tina Templeton, played by Amy Sedaris, who will be an executive at BabyCorp and likely lock horns with Theodore.
Bob’s Burgers: The Movie
Though feature length animated movies based on TV shows have seen varying degrees of success and quality, Bob’s Burgers: The Movie could very well be in the top tier of them all.
The movie isn’t just going to be an extended episode of the show, but will instead feature some big-budget material and is apparently going to be a musical. This is one of the very few things that has been confirmed for the movie so far.
Addams Family 2
Though it’s one of the sitcoms from before the 70s that still holds up, Addams Family has had many iterations in its time since. After the 90s iteration, which was a fun and friendly iteration of Tim Burton’s gothic filmmaking style, 2019 saw a fully animated version of the series.
It was a refreshing take on the 50+-year-old series and featured a cast including Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, and even Snoop Dogg. The sequel will see Bill Hader joining them.
Luca
Though there are a lot of Pixar sequels fans want to see, most people know that Pixar’s original movies are some of the most beautiful, surreal, and emotional animated films ever made.
Between Up, Inside Out, and Coco, Pixar has created worlds in the sky, the afterlife, and even inside the mind of a child. And though audiences don’t know much about the upcoming Luca, it seems like the whole movie is a homage to the Italian Riviera.
Vivo
Lin Manuel Miranda had been trying to get this movie made for a long time, as it was even rejected by Dreamworks over 10 years ago. However, that could have been a huge mistake on Dreamworks’ part, as Vivo has all of the tropes to be a success.
The movie follows a cute capuchin monkey, features cinematography from Roger Deakins, and, of course, features an original soundtrack created by Miranda himself.
Minions: The Rise Of Gru
In 2015, the first Minions movie set a precedent for animated movies, as it was the first animated movie spin-off to make more than the original series. Minions made a sensational $1.1 billion dollars worldwide, so it’s actually surprising that it took a whole six years for Dreamworks to follow up with a sequel.
However, Minions: The Rise Of Gru is finally coming out this year, and it will no doubt be filled with as many ridiculous goofy jokes as its predecessor.
Hotel Transylvania 4
Over the course of the series’ three movies, the Adam Sandler-led Halloween themed franchise has grossed well over a billion dollars. When a series makes that much money, it’s almost a guarantee that yet another sequel is just around the corner.
The movies are well made and are actually some of the best-reviewed movies that Adam Sandler has seen in quite some time, and Hotel Transylvania 4 will undoubtedly continue the series’ success.