Best Animated Feature Film:
KPop Demon Hunters
Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. Produced by Michelle L.M. Wong.
Best Original Song:
“Golden” – Music and lyrics by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park.
U.S. theatrical release date: April 1, 2026
Japanese release date: April 24, 2026
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Written by Matthew Fogel.
Produced by Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo.
Original score by Brian Tyler.
Voice cast:
Chris Pratt as Mario
Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
Charlie Day as Luigi
Jack Black as Bowser
Keegan-Michael Key as Toad
Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek
Brie Larson as Rosalina
Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr.
Donald Glover as Yoshi
Luis Guzmán as Wart
Issa Rae as Honey Queen
Disney+ release date: March 11, 2026
Synopsis: After cracking the biggest case in Zootopia’s history, rookie cops Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find their partnership isn’t as solid as they thought when Chief Bogo orders them to join the Partners in Crisis counseling program.
But it doesn’t take long for their partnership to be put to the ultimate test when they find themselves on the twisting trail of a mystery tied to the arrival of a venomous snake in the animal metropolis.
Written by Jared Bush.
Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard.
Zootopia 2 has grossed $1.859 billion as of March 3, 2026.
North American release dates:
March 20–26, 2026 (Laemmle Glendale)
April 7, 2026 (Digital)
June 16, 2026 (DVD)
Synopsis: Twins Alfie and Elise get more than they bargained for after summoning the mysterious Wish Collector, an enigmatic character who whisks them away to The Land of Sometimes — an incredible place where all four seasons pass in just one day.
Granted with a total of six wishes, the pair soon learn that they’ll need to be careful what they wish for, embarking on a magical, musical journey filled with fantastical creatures and a truth that shines brighter than any wish: the power of family.
Directed by Leon Joosen.
Written by Tony Nottage and Marty Casella.
Based on the audiobook by Francesca Longrigg.
Original songs by Tim Rice, Pete Hobbs and Francesca Longrigg.
Release date: March 13, 2026 | U.S. and Canada
Synopsis: It is a tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and fly off into the wide world to learn their craft.
When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her new journey with her sarcastic black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a seaside town, where her unique skills make her an instant sensation.
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Tickets are available on the IMAX website.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle will return to theatres in the United States and Canada on March 6, 2026, and for the first time ever, the film will be available on SCREENX, the world’s first multi-projection cinema with an immersive 270 degree field of view.
The film was the #7 top-grossing film in 2025. It’s also the highest-grossing international film ever released in North America (surpassing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon which held the record for 25 years) and is the highest grossing anime of all time globally with a box office total of $732,230,471.
Directed by Haruo Sotozaki.
Based on the manga series by Koyoharu Gotoge, published in Shueisha’s Weekly Jump from February 2016 to May 2020. The manga consists of 23 volumes and has published over 200 million units.
Release date: 2026 on Netflix
The film was released theatrically in Mexico, Guatemala and Panama on October 23, 2025.
Synopsis: In 19th-century Mexico, Frankelda is a gifted writer whose dark tales are ignored and dismissed. Forced to suppress her voice, she refuses to give up, even as many try to silence her.
But when she is thrust into her subconscious, the very monsters she created come to life. Guided by Herneval, a tormented prince trapped between dreams and nightmares, she must restore balance between fiction and reality before both realms collapse.
Meanwhile, the sinister writer Procustes and his conspirators plot to seize control. As Frankelda and Herneval grow closer, their bond becomes both a strength and a curse.
To rewrite their fate, she must confront a love that defies existence and reclaim her power as a storyteller — before dark forces consume her imagination and reveal horrors beyond her creation.
Spanish title: Soy Frankelda
Written and directed by Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz.
U.S. theatrical release date: June 19, 2026
Synopsis: The toys are back and this time, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad, a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same?
Directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E, Finding Dory).
Co-directed by Kenna Harris (Ciao Alberto).
Written by Andrew Stanton and Kenna Harris.
Produced by Lindsey Collins (Finding Dory, Turning Red).
Original score by Randy Newman.
Theatrical release date: April 10, 2026.
Synopsis: In a fantastical future, humans and mermaids share a troubled coexistence.
Stephan, an anxious employee at a shipbuilding company, has big ideas to save the sea. But his life explodes into ecstatic chaos when bubbly mermaid princess Chao proposes marriage out of the blue.
Between shopping sprees, giant robots, and actual fireworks, the unlikely pair flounder through their new romance and unlock their true feelings.
Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki.
Character designs by Hirokazu Kojima.
Music by Takatsugu Muramatsu.
GKIDS has acquired the North American rights to the Bruno Bozzetto catalog, including Allegro Non Troppo.
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the newly restored animated musical will screen at Metrograph in New York City starting March 27, 2026.
Synopsis: An enterprising producer believes he has hit upon a winning concept: a program of original animated shorts set to classical music.
Undeterred by warnings that this has already been done by an American named ‘Prisney,’ he rallies an orchestra of geriatric women, a bullish conductor, and an animator that he keeps locked in the dungeon. What could go wrong?
A gleeful sendup of Disney’s Fantasia, Allegro Non Troppo blends live-action slapstick with cheeky animation for a film as joyful and raunchy as it is thoughtful and cutting.
Release date: July 1, 2026.
Synopsis: This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created.
Directed by Pierre Coffin.
Written by Brian Lynch and Pierre Coffin.
U.S. theatrical release date: February 6, 2026.
Synopsis: Arriving in New York City in 1886, two orphaned Irish siblings set out on a cross-country journey aboard a transcontinental train in search of a new home.
Along the way, they make an unexpected friend and encounter both heroes and villains, discovering that true family can be found in the most unlikely places.
Directed by Juan Jesús García Galocha and Pedro Solís García.
Written by Jordi Gasull, Javier López Barreira and Pedro Solís García.
Made with the collaboration of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.
U.S. theatrical release date: March 27, 2026.
Synopsis: In 1955, 60-year-old Marcel Pagnol is a well-known and acclaimed playwright and filmmaker.
When the editor-in-chief of ELLE magazine commissions a weekly column about Pagnol’s childhood, he sees this as a great opportunity to go back to his artistic roots: writing.
Realizing his memory is failing him and deeply affected by the disappointing results of his last two plays, Pagnol starts doubting his ability to pursue his work.
That is until Little Marcel — the young boy he used to be — appears to him as if by magic.
Together, they will explore Marcel Pagnol’s incredible life and bring back to life his most cherished encounters and memories…
Written and directed by Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville, The Illusionist).
U.S. theatrical release date: April 1, 2026.
Japanese release date: April 24, 2026.
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Written by Matthew Fogel.
Produced by Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo.
Original score by Brian Tyler.
Voice cast:
Chris Pratt as Mario
Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
Charlie Day as Luigi
Jack Black as Bowser
Keegan-Michael Key as Toad
Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek
Brie Larson as Rosalina
Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr.
Donald Glover as Yoshi
Luis Guzman as Wart
Issa Rae as Honey Queen
Best Animated Feature Film:
Arco – Ugo Bienvenu, Félix de Givry, Sophie Mas and Natalie Portman.
Elio – Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina and Mary Alice Drumm.
KPop Demon Hunters – Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M. Wong. (“Golden” was also nominated for Best Original Song.)
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain – Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han, Nidia Santiago and Henri Magalon.
Zootopia 2 – Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Yvett Merino.
Best Animated Short Film:
Butterfly (French title: Papillon) – Florence Miailhe and Ron Dyens.
Forevergreen – Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears.
The Girl Who Cried Pearls – Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski.
Retirement Plan – John Kelly and Andrew Freedman.
The Three Sisters – Konstantin Bronzit.
The Oscars ceremony airs live on March 15 at 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT on ABC and Hulu, hosted by Conan O’Brien.
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