The Animation Blog

‘Steps’ First Look: Ali Wong and Stephanie Hsu Lead Netflix’s Animated Cinderella Movie

December 8, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: 2026 on Netflix.

Synopsis: When misunderstood Lilith is blamed for hijacking the Royal Ball with a stolen magic wand, she accidentally turns her sister Margot into a frog and leaves the kingdom in the hands of a prince-obsessed mean girl.

Now Lilith must team up with Cinderella (and a surprisingly dreamy troll) to save the kingdom, repair the fractured fairytale, and prove that even so-called villains deserve a shot at happily-ever-after.

Directed by Alyce Tzue (Soar) and John Ripa (Raya and the Last Dragon).

Produced by Amy Poehler, Jane Hartwell and Kim Lessing.

Voice cast:
Ali Wong as Lilith
Stephanie Hsu as Margot

Short Film Spotlight: The Alpine Whistle

December 7, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: One evening, Lalao, a lonely grumpy stoat, can’t stand the constant hubbub of nature and his fellow animals. To escape, he sets off in search of a new and quieter home to sleep. But is the grass really greener on the other side?

Directed by:
Marine Camps
Eléanore Chaboud
Chloé Escot
Mélina Lebeurier
Camille Lecture
Paola Navarro Castillo
Marie Rousselet
Alizée Waquez

Music by:
Théophile Yvert (composer)
Lucie Cressot (clarinet)
Simon Deboeuf (cello)
Joël Petit (violin)
Manuel Domènech (english horn)

Sound by:
José Vicente
Yoann Poncet
Guilhem Favard
Mickaël Merrheim

Short Film Spotlight: Non

December 6, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Intended for mature audiences.

Synopsis: In the subway, a woman sees a shadow approaching a little boy. It is then that she remembers an experience she had at the same age: her encounter with a paedo-criminal.

Directed by:
Camille Bardaud
Xiaoning Liu
Yanfeng Niu
Julie Sibille
Tianying Zhang

Music by Matthieu Roland-Gosselin and Cristobal Tapia De Veer.

Sound by Siméo Moure and Nathan Calero.

Short Film Spotlight: Lost Worm

December 5, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Worms have dreams too.

Directed by Damo and Bine Bach.

Written by Bine Bach.

Sound by Samuel Jurkovic.

Music by Joint Editorial.

Voiced by Saam Hodivala, JB Jacobs and Izzie Raitt.

Graphics by Tim Perri and Nikki Rodriguez.

Adult Swim’s ‘The Elephant’ Trailer and Release Date: All-Star Creators Team Up for an Experimental Special

December 4, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: December 19, 2025 at 11:00 p.m. on Adult Swim. Next day on HBO Max.

Synopsis: Adult Swim’s The Elephant is an experimental special in which each of the three-acts were made in isolation. It unfolds as a collaborative surprise, ultimately merging into a single, unexpected narrative.

Created by:
Ian Jones-Quartey (OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes)
Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall)
Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe)
Pendleton Ward (Adventure Time)

‘Lydia and the Mist Rider’ Trailer and Poster Revealed: ‘Yellowjackets’ Star Sophie Nélisse Leads Voice Cast

December 3, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: February 20, 2026 (Canada).

Synopsis: When her older brother Thaddeus is mysteriously kidnapped by the Spellbinder, 11-year-old Lydia sets off to find him in the Misty Sea.

Picked up by the crew of a flying ship, the Dolphin, Lydia becomes the apprentice of Ambrosia, a Stargazer. Ambrosia is trying to find other children who have disappeared, including her own son.

Determined to solve the mystery, Lydia must learn stargazing magic and ready herself to confront the Spellbinder.

Directed by Nancy Florence Savard, Emilie Rosas and Philippe Arseneau Bussières.

Written by Emilie Rosas and Arthur Holden.

Based on the novels Le vaisseau des tempêtes and Prince des glaces by Yves Meynard.

‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw’ Trailer, Release Date, Synopsis and Poster: Fourth Animated Movie Arrives on Disney+

December 2, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: December 5, 2025 on Disney+.

Synopsis: Greg continually finds himself at odds with his dad’s expectations. As pressure builds to turn his act around after a series of near disasters, Greg’s dad presents him with an ultimatum — and a trip to wilderness camp — that just might challenge Greg’s wimpy ways for good.

Directed by Matt Danner (Muppet Babies).

Written and produced by series creator Jeff Kinney.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw is the fourth animated feature adaptation in the series to debut on Disney+ following Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2022) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (2023).

Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’: Official Trailer and New Poster Unveiled as Meryl Streep and Dave Franco Join Cast

December 1, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: March 6, 2026.

Synopsis: In Hoppers, scientists have discovered how to “hop” human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals.

Using the new technology, Mabel will uncover mysteries within the animal world that are beyond anything she could have imagined.

Directed by Daniel Chong (We Bare Bears).

Written by Daniel Chong and Jesse Andrews (Luca).

Produced by Nicole Grindle (Incredibles 2).

Short Film Spotlight: L’Aveugle (The Blind Man)

November 30, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: A blind man navigates the narrow streets of a city as best he can. But when he misplaces his cane, he’s forced to confront every obstacle that stands in his way.

Written and directed by Rémy X.

Music by Bernard Llioret and May Bahnini.

Sound by Lilas Bouché, Raphaël Minachy-Petchy and Farah Yahiaoui.

Short Film Spotlight: XOLO

November 29, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: XOLO celebrates the Day of the Dead tradition through the story of a deep friendship between Jorge and his best friend, Rogelio.

Inspired by the spirit of Mexican muralism, every background was painted by hand on canvas, and over 2,000 frames were created using oil paint on paper, one by one.

Directed by YUCA (Daniella Schuarts and Leonardo Salomão).

Stephen Curry’s ‘GOAT’: New Trailer and Poster Unveiled for Sony Pictures Animation’s Sports Comedy

November 28, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: February 13, 2026.

Synopsis: The story follows Will, a small goat with big dreams who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball — a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world.

Will’s new teammates aren’t thrilled about having a little goat on their roster, but Will is determined to revolutionize the sport and prove once and for all that “smalls can ball!”

Directed by Tyree Dillihay (Bob’s Burgers, Good Times).

Co-directed by Adam Rosette (The Wild Robot, The Bad Guys).

Written by Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley, creators of the Prime Video series Fairfax.

Produced by NBA star Stephen Curry.

Short Film Spotlight: Soleil Gris (Ashen Sun)

November 27, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: Under a scorching sun, Charlie is bored out of her mind and dreams of going to the seaside. But she’s forced to guard a seedy motel with her cousin Jess, who’s slumped in her deck chair.

The two teenagers don’t get along and bicker at every opportunity. On the radio, the monotone voice of a collapsology researcher predicts the imminent end of the world.

The pool is empty, the sun is beating down and the tension is mounting: the ecological apocalypse announced on the airwaves suddenly erupts into reality.

Written and directed by Camille Monnier.

Music by Fredrika Stahl.

Short Film Spotlight: Skin Flick

November 26, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Intended for mature audiences.

Synopsis: An actress stars in the Devil’s cannibalistic snuff movies in exchange for a beautiful bombshell skin. As she lures a runaway-bride to the studio to devour on camera, she develops feelings that will disrupts the Devil’s scenario.

Written and directed by:
Louise Bailly
Daniela Del Castello
Alice Levy
Bruno De Mendonca
Elifsu Meric
Joey Quoc Tran

Music by Pierre Moreau and Cédric Perras.

Sound design and mix by Mathieu Tiger.

Follow Skin Flick on Instagram.

‘Miraculous World: Tokyo Stellar Force’ Trailer and Release Date: Hour-Long Special Offers a Taste of New Anime Series

November 25, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

U.S. release dates:
November 29, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. on Disney Channel.
November 30, 2025 at 8:00 pm on Disney XD.
February 27, 2026 on Disney+.

Synopsis: Marinette and Kagami team up in Tokyo to confront Moddler, a mysterious villain turning innocent civilians into monstrous kaijus.

To stop the chaos, Ladybug must rally a fractured group of Japanese superheroes to become Tokyo’s own legendary force of defenders, the Tokyo Stellar Force.

The hour-long special serves as a launchpad for Miraculous Stellar Force, an anime series set to launch in 2027 — created by Thomas Astruc (creator and director of Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir).

‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ Season 2: Trailer, Release Date and Poster Unveiled for Final Season

November 24, 2025 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: December 11, 2025 on Netflix.

Synopsis: Lara’s adventure takes her around the globe as she delves into the hidden secrets of Orisha history, dodges a dangerous billionaire who wants the masks for herself, and discovers that these relics contain dark secrets and a power that defies logic.

Voice cast:
Hayley Atwell as Lara Croft
Karen Fukuhara as Sam Nishimura
O-T Fagbenle as Eshu
Allen Maldonado as Zip
Earl Baylon as Jonah Maiava
Zoe Boyle as Camilla Roth
Nolan North as Conrad Roth
Richard Armitage as Charles Devereaux
Ming-Na Wen as Eva