Animated movies and shows are back in the saddle for 2018. With audiences constantly looking for new content that pushes the envelope regarding visuals and storytelling, the animated shows and movies coming out in 2018 are sure to dazzle and entertain audiences. Usually there are one or two good animated films released each year, along with a handful of television series too. But 2018 is going against the grain with dozens of high-end movies and shows on the way — starring dozens of A-list actors, musicians, directors, illustrators and writers.
Along with all the new and incredible new content, history is also being made as Japanese production companies are collaborating with American companies. A large part of this is due to the increasing popularity of anime, but it also has to do with audiences demanding something new and different. With all the new content, there are numerous reboots being released too. This might make you cringe at first, but nostalgia is in the air. Thankfully, the production companies, directors, and writers are paying attention to fans bashing reboots on social media and Reddit which don’t credit the original source material enough, or are made simply as a cash-grab.
2018 has a little bit of everything for everyone. From horror and thriller to family fun and comedy, there’s likely to be a handful of movies and shows that spark your curiosity and interest. So, grab a bag of popcorn and get comfortable while we roll out the red carpet for 30 animated movies and shows you didn’t know were coming in 2018.
30 Movie: After A Decade Of Waiting, Incredibles 2 Is Coming
Recently voted on Fandango by thousands of fans, Incredibles 2 is the most anticipated animated movie for the coming year. It’s been 14 years since the premier of Pixar’s The Incredibles, and the sequel is gearing up to be just as good, if not better, than the first.
Brad Bird returns as the writer and director, with just about the entire original film’s voice actors returning too. New additions to the crew are actors Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener. Returning actors include Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson and Sarah Vowell.
The premise for the film will deal with the Parr family struggling to maintain their normal lives, while a new villain, The Underminer (John Ratzenberger) unleashes a sinister plot.
Incredibles 2 is set to release in the summer of 2018 on June 15.
29 Show: Merc With A Mouth Goes Animated
Deadpool: The Animated Series is happening. This won’t be a Saturday morning cartoon for kids. The iconic Merc with a Mouth comic book rebel has been picked up by FXX (an offshoot of FX), who just happens to be the same network that created and produced the animated series Archer. Donald Glover and Stephen Glover are the co-creators, working alongside executive producers Jeph Loeb (Marvel head of TV) and Jim Chory.
John Landgraf (head of FX) stated in an interview that “Deadpool will be really different from the movies. It has a different tone and editorial voice. [We] wanted to make something distinctly different from the movies.”
This means they’ll likely be adapting from the comic book versions more, having the freedom of animation, something you don’t get with live-action. Deadpool: The Animated Series will premier in 2018 with 10 episodes, airing on FXX.
28 Movie: Collaborated Efforts Between East And West With Batman Ninja
Warner Bros. is no longer outsourcing Batman (Batman: The Animated Series) out of Japan in secret. Instead, they’ve finally seen the light and have decided to do a direct collaboration with Japanese animators by creating Batman Ninja. Warner Bros. and DC comics have confidently handed the Batman reins over to Japanese director Junpei Mizusaki.
Batman has evolved more than a few times since his creation back in 1939, making him the ideal DC character to take on new tropes while presenting a new interpretation of classic Japanese mythology.
Other characters joining Batman are Japanese versions of Nightwing, Red Robin, Joker, Harley Quinn, Deathstroke, Two-Face, Catwoman, and many more.
No specific release date has been set for Batman Ninja, although 2018 has been confirmed and it will release straight to Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital download.
27 Show: Rock The House Gorillaz: The Animated Series
Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett are back with a full season planned for Gorillaz: The Animated Series. Gorillaz took the music world by storm in 2001 by fusing animation and music together in ways that had never been accomplished before. With cult-classics like Tank Girl in their portfolio, Gorillaz: The Animated Series has the potential to be one of the breakout animations for 2018.
“I’ll direct the first and the last one,” Hewlett recently stated in an interview. “But we’ll have to get someone in to direct the other episodes.” He also went on to say, “Everybody does cg now, and it is great when you’re making backgrounds, like environments and landscapes, but not the actual characters. I’m still very much inspired by the work of Chuck Jones, and I love that animation. So, the characters on the show will be 2D, but everything else is up for grabs.”
No official release date or network provider has been released yet, but 2018 has been confirmed.
26 Movie: The Case Of Missing Gnomes In Sherlock Gnomes
Sherlock Gnomes is a sequel to 2011’s Gnomeo & Juliet, which made about 200 million worldwide. John Stevenson is directing this 3D computer-animated fantasy romantic comedy mystery film. And it’s being produced by Rocket Pictures, Paramount Animation and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Also known as Gnomeo & Juliet 2: Sherlock Gnomes, there are some huge names in showbiz attached to this movie. Johnny Depp will be playing Sherlock Gnome, along with Mary J. Blige, Michael Caine, Ozzy Osbourne, James McAvoy (Gnomeo), Emily Blunt (Juliet), Julie Walters, Matt Lucas, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and many more.
The film will be about Gnomeo and Juliet recruiting detective Sherlock Gnomes and his sidekick, Gnome Watson to help investigate the mysterious disappearance of the other garden gnomes.
Sherlock Gnomes is scheduled to release on March 23, 2018.
25 Show: The Gory Return Of Vampires In Netflix Castlevania Season 2
Netflix released four episodes of Castlevania in 2017, unsure of how audiences would react to it being loosely based off two video game series: Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (released in 1989 on NES), and Castlevania Symphony of the Night (released in 1997 on PS1).
Despite rumors of multiple re-writes, critics and fans were positive in their comments about the series and immediately began petitioning Netflix for more episodes. The first four episodes featured (Spoilers) a grief-crazed Dracula taking revenge against humanity for the death of his wife, along with a disgraced Belmont trying to save the world from human extinction.
No word has been released as to when the series will appear, however, 2018 has been confirmed. Most feel that the release will occur in the fall around Halloween, which fits with the reported shooting schedule.
24 Movie: Miles Morales In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is being directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman — from a screenplay by Phil Lord. This highly anticipated version of Spidey will play off Marvel Comics character Miles Morales / Spider-Man, with Lord and Miller showing off their own personal style.
Shameik Moore will be the voice actor for Miles Morales, starring alongside Liev Schreiber, Mahershala Ali, and Brian Tyree Henry. The premise for the film is about Miles juggling his high school life, along with his status as a superhero, ever since the death of Peter Parker. In this universe, there is more than one Spider-Man.
Spider-Man fans have been longing for a Miles Morales interpretation, and it’s finally here with Lord and Miller getting back into the swing (pun intended) of things.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is scheduled for release on December 14, 2018.
23 Show: American Superheroes Meet Japanese Anime My Hero Academia Season 3
Taking the spot as one of the most binge watched anime shows in 2017, My Hero Academia has a little bit of geekdom for everyone. It’s light and funny while having dark and serious moments too.
My Hero Academia is created by Kohei Horikoshi and was first published as a manga in 2014. The success of the manga series led to season one airing in April 2016, followed immediately by a second season in 2017.
The show is about a boy named Izuku Midoriya, who has always wanted to be a hero, but was born without a quirk (a type of magic). When the world’s leading superhero All-Might picks Izuku to be his successor, the boy’s world is turned upside-down as he gains a quirk, a new school, and a set of very dangerous enemies.
You can view My Hero Academia on Hulu, Funimation, VRV, Crunchyroll, and various other media platforms.
22 Movie: The Wrecker Is Back With Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios will be producing another sequel this coming year with Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2. The sequel will take place six years after the events of the first film, with the story focusing on Ralph’s adventures. John C. Reilly will be playing Wreck-It Ralph, alongside Sarah Silverman playing Vanellope von Schweetz.
Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 will also feature appearances from all the Disney Princesses (yeah, you read that correctly), along with appearances from C-3PO, R2-D2, Yoda, Princess Leia, Iron Man, and Gamora.
Ralph and his best friend Vanellope von Schweetz will encounter new customs, worlds, and characters, and the Disney Princesses within this new adventure of theirs.
Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 is set to release on November 21, 2018.
21 Show: Demon Slayer Constantine Is Back In Animation
The cult-classic Constantine is officially getting rebooted as an animated series for 2018. CW Seed (CW digital platform) will be resurrecting Matt Ryan’s live-action Constantine, but in the more idealistic format of animation. Ryan will do the voice over for Constantine, and Warner Bros. has been steadily pumping out teaser art for the upcoming series (with a trailer hopefully coming soon).
Constantine is being produced by some huge names in the live-action and comic book world. David S. Goyer, Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl), and Sarah Schechter (Blindspot, Riverdale, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), are taking the lead for the series. The script is written by J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League Dark, Batman vs. Robin) and its being directed by Doug Murphy (Justice League Action, Young Justice).
The animated series will be ten episodes long, with a running time of five to six minutes per episode. Constantine will air on CW Seed in the early part of 2018.
20 Movie: Running A Circus With Animal Crackers
First shown during the Annecy Animation Film Festival in 2017, Animal Crackers features a classic feel good animated story that can be related to other film successes such as Shrek, Ice Age, and Despicable Me. The movie features the voices of the extremely talented actors like John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Danny DeVito, Ian McKellen, Sylvester Stallone, Raven-Symoné, Patrick Warburton and Wallace Shawn.
Animal Crackers is co-directed by Scott Christian Sava and Tony Bancroft, while being written by Sava and Dean Lorey. The story follows the Huntington family, whose life is turned upside down when they inherit a rundown circus and a mysterious box of Animal Crackers. These crackers can magically change the person who eats them into the animal featured on the cracker.
Animal Crackers is set to release on May 4, 2018.
19 Show: Unpredictable Dan Harmon Brings Rick And Morty Back For Season 4
Dan Harmon is up to his usual antics with a countdown online to Rick and Morty season 4, having an expected date of December 4, 2018. Will Harmon stick to this?
In an interview with EW, Dan Harmon talks about adding four more episodes to the season. “I mostly blame myself for doing 10 instead of 14,” Harmon told EW. “I’m still learning how to do the show efficiently while catering to the perfectionist in all of us. I would like to think I’ve learned enough from my mistakes in season 3 that we could definitely do 14 now, but then I have to say, ‘Yeah but you’re the guy who says we can do 14 who turned out to be wrong so we’re not listening to you now.’”
You can view previous seasons and the new season 4 of Rick and Morty on Adult Swim, Hulu, and various other media platforms.
18 Movie: Spook-Dracula Time With Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, also known as Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation, is the third installment t in the Hotel Transylvania franchise and the sequel to Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015).
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the film will be directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and co-written with Michael McCullers. A host of A-list actors will reprise their roles with the likes of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, Keegan-Michael Key, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Asher Blinkoff, and Mel Brooks.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation will take place six years after the previous film, and will focus on Dracula, Mavis, Johnny, and the rest of their family, as they take a vacation on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship.
The release date for Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is on July 13, 2018.
17 Show: Female Hero’s Get Their Due With She-Ra Reboot
Every boy and girl who grew up during the 80s remembers She-Ra, and the impact she had on their lives. Much like Wonder Woman, She-Ra was an example of a strong woman able to hold her own next to a strong man (He-Man).
Netflix is bringing back the 80s iconic Princess of Power with a reboot that should be as good if not better than the original. She-Ra is being written by the award-winning cartoonist Noelle Stevenson, who will also serve as the series’ showrunner.
The new She-Ra will be a modern take on the character, celebrating female friendship and empowerment, which lines up nicely with Stevenson’s previous work on Lumberjanes and Nimona. The original cartoon She-Ra: Princess of Power, was a spin-off from He-Man, running for 93 episodes back in 1985-86.
16 Movie: The Underdog of 2018 — Isle of Dogs
Written and directed by Wes Anderson, Isle of Dogs is an American stop-motion animated adventure film. Produced by Indian Paintbrush, this film has a ton of talent pooled into the cast. With recognizable names such as Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, and so many more.
The synopsis of Isle of Dogs is said to be set in a dystopian future Japan in which dogs have been quarantined on the remote eponymous island due to a canine flu. The dogs are the feature in this film and are fed up with their isolated existence, until a boy named Atari Kobayashi ventures to the island to search for his dog, Spots. Atari receives their help and they will protect him from the Japanese authorities who have come to retrieve him
Isle of Dogs is set to premier at the Berlinale film festival and to be released on March 23, 2018, by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
15 Show: Kickstarter Success In Cannon Busters
Creator LeSean Thomas used Kickstarter as funding for releasing a short pilot film of Cannon Busters, which caught the attention of Netflix. While an official premier date has yet to be announced, Netflix has revealed that 12 episodes are currently in production from Manga Entertainment, Nada Holdings, and anime studio Satelight.
Netflix describes Cannon Busters as the adventures of S.A.M, a high-end, royal-class friendship droid who’s joined by a quirky, discarded maintenance robot and a deadly fugitive. Together, the unlikely trio embarks into a fantastic and dangerous world in search of S.A.M’s best friend, the heir to a powerful kingdom under siege.
LeSean Thomas is the executive producer for the series, while also working as a writer with Natasha Allegri (Bee & Puppycat), Anne Toole (The Witcher), and Nilah Magruder (M.F.K.).
14 Movie: Stealing Christmas With The Grinch
Based on the classic tale of How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss, The Grinch was supposed to be released in 2017, but got bumped back to 2018. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch himself, he hatches a scheme to ruin Christmas while the residents of Whoville plan their annual holiday celebration.
Directed by Peter Candeland and Yarrow Cheney, along with Matthew O’Callaghan as a co-director, the film is a 3D animated feature based on the original Dr. Seuss book. It should be exciting to see Benedict Cumberbatch’s (being he’s more of a classically trained actor) take on the classic character, since most audiences relate the Grinch to Jim Carrey’s performance back in 2000.
The Grinch is scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on November 9, 2018.
13 Show: Netflix Is Stepping Up Their Anime Game With Devilman: Crybaby
Devilman: Crybaby is an anime series based on the original Devilman manga series, with a teaser trailer being released just a few days ago by Netflix. Science SARU studio headed up by Masaaki Yuasa, will be directing the series. Ichiro Okouchi is the writer behind the script, along with Eunyoung Choi serving as animation director. Aniplex and Dynamic Planning will be producing the project.
As described by Netflix, the plot is about Akira Fudo, who learns from his best friend Ryo Asuka that demons will revive and reclaim the world from humans. With humans hopeless against this threat, Ryo suggests combining with a demon. With this, Akira becomes Devilman, a being with the power of a demon, but with a human heart.
Devilman: Crybaby is scheduled to be released on Netflix in January 2018.
12 Show: Comedy Taken Down A Different Path In Bojack Horseman
BoJack Horseman is an American adult animated black comedy-drama series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. Starring Will Arnett as the title character, this Netflix series took the animated world by storm in 2014. Other cast members included in the series are Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul.
Despite mixed reviews initially, BoJack Horseman continues to grow in popularity with a fifth season scheduled to be released in 2018. The series likes to take a satirical approach towards current events, politics, and show business. BoJack Horseman has been praised for its realistic take on dealing with depression, trauma, addiction, and self-destructive behavior. Plus, it’s downright hilarious to watch.
The series takes place mostly in LA, within an alternate world where humans and tailless anthropomorphic animals live side by side.
11 Movie: Here Come The Yeti With Smallfoot
Warner Bros. Pictures is dominating animation in 2018 with their release of Smallfoot, proving that they can compete with the other big-name production companies. Starring big names in Hollywood with the likes of Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common, LeBron James, Gina Rodriguez, Danny DeVito, Yara Shahidi, Ely Henry, and Jimmy Tatro — Smallfoot is predicted to capture hearts of the young and old.
Directed and written by Karey Kirkpatrick, Smallfoot is based on a story by Sergio Pablos. The tale is about a Yeti named Migo (voiced by Channing Tatum) who is convinced that the creatures known as “Smallfoots” (humans) really exist.
Smallfoot is an American 3D computer-animated comedy film from Warner Animation Group that is set to release on September 28, 2018.
