Anime Expo 2022: Programming Lineup Announced

Last year, studios were eager to release films, both in theaters and on streamers, that had been waylaid due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And, without a doubt, some of the all-time films of 2021 were animated features, like
Raya and the Terminal Dragon,
The Mitchells vs. the Machines,
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
and
Encanto.

While going to the theater for every new release notwithstanding isn’t the norm, at that place are plenty of certain-to-be incredible animated films on the horizon in 2022. The Oscar-winning
Spider-Human being: Into the Spider-Verse
(2018) is getting a long-awaited sequel; there’due south a new Hayao Miyazaki moving picture in the works; and Disney is giving us a Buzz Lightyear origin story that we’re sure someone asked for (right?).

Without further ado, here are 16 of the most anticipated animated films of 2022. Be sure to add together them to your radar — or keep your Spidey senses alert.

Turning Red
|
Now Streaming on Disney+

After some decidedly mixed feelings about Pixar’s last outing,
Luca
(2021), we’ve been eagerly anticipating the 18-time Academy Awarding-winning studio’s next feature,
Turning Ruby.

Released alongside
Incredibles 2
(2018), the short picture show
Bao
was one of Pixar’s most memorable stories of the last few years; in it, an aging Chinese Canadian mother finds her empty nest non-so-empty when a steamed bun comes to life. We won’t spoil the short, merely we will remind you that writer/director Domee Shi won an Oscar for
Bao.

And that brings us to
Turning Red. Directed and co-written by Shi, it’s Pixar’south first flick to be solely directed by a woman. The film is set in Toronto during the early on 2000s and tells the story of Meilin Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a 13-twelvemonth-one-time Chinese Canadian daughter who is horrified to learn that, 1 24-hour interval, her excitement and stress started triggering a… transformation. That is, she poofs into a giant red panda. Meilin’south female parent, Ming Lee (vocalisation of Sandra Oh), reveals that “poofing” is a family curse of sorts.

Want to know more? Be sure to check out Senior Writer Patricia Puentes’ full review for Ask.

If you don’t mark your calendar now, Sonic the Hedgehog (voice of Ben Schwartz) volition speed correct past you on April 8. And who doesn’t want to return to the anarchy (command) that is this upbeat live-action-meets-animation family comedy sequel?

Unlike other game-properties-turned-movies, Sega’southward blue speedster took the smart path to success: lean into the unhinged, into the absurd and light-headed. While this first installment saw our tennis shoe-wearing hero facing off against Jim Carrey’s manic, cartoonish villain Dr. Robotnik.

The sequel pic, appropriately titled
Sonic the Hedgehog 2, will feature Sonic and some familiar human faces equally well as franchise favorites, like Tails (voice of Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles the Echidna (voice of Idris Elba).

Ladybug & True cat Noir Awakening


| TBA (Early on 2022)

Based on the four-season Tv serial
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, this film is expected to selection up where a fifth season would, all while delivering some origin story and earth-building goodness.

Non familiar with the serial? It centers on the seemingly bad-mannered Parisian teen Marinette (voice of Cristina Vee), who dreams of becoming a style designer, all while living a double life as a crimefighter known every bit Ladybug.

Despite her insistence that she doesn’t need help, young man hero Cat Noir (voice of Bryce Papenbrook) is oft by her side. Footling does Marinette know that the identity of Cat Noir is none other than her shell, Adrien. Don’t waste whatever fourth dimension in communicable upward on this series earlier the romance-action-musical film hits screens.

The Bad Guys


| April 22

The Bad Guys, DreamWorks Blitheness’due south next adventure, is based on the children’southward book series of the same proper name. As you lot might expect, our protagonists are a group of anthropomorphic animals — Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Ophidian, Mr. Shark, and Ms. Tarantula — and, in order to avert incarceration, these notorious baddies make a deal to do expert. Of class, things don’t always get equally planned when life throws a wrench at you, right?

Non but does the premise sound intriguing, merely the voice talent is incredible, with stars like Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Lilly Singh and Alex Borstein lending their talents to the movie.

DC League of Super-Pets


| May 20

If you’ve ever wondered what a
Justice League
(2017) and
Clandestine Life of Pets
(2016) mashup would look like,
DC League of Super-Pets
might only be the moving-picture show for you lot. But if for some reason that thought never crossed your mind, you should withal continue this adventure-comedy romp on your radar.

The premise? Krypto the Super-Domestic dog (voice of Dwayne Johnson), Superman’south all-time bud and crime-fighting side-boot, must orchestrate a rescue mission when the Man of Steel and the rest of the Justice League’s members are kidnapped.

To do so, he rounds upward a canaille group of animals with newfound powers — and the ensemble cast, which includes Natasha Lyonne, Vanessa Bayer, Marc Maron and Keanu Reeves, among many others — makes united states of america think hilarity
really will
ensue.

The Bob’southward Burgers Movie


| May 27

While the Belchers certainly streamed on the small screen in 2021, the highly anticipated
Bob’due south Burgers
Movie
didn’t. The release date has been inverse several times, shifting from early 2021 to late 2021 to (hopefully) 2022. In fact, May 27 is the official release date. Here’southward hoping it sticks this fourth dimension.

And then, what can you look from
The Bob’s Burgers Picture? Apparently, an enormous sinkhole opens in front of the restaurant, ruining Bob (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) and Linda’s (voice of John Roberts) hopes for a successful summer flavour. While their parents are preoccupied with keeping Bob’s Burgers from endmost its doors for proficient, the Belcher kids — Tina (vocalisation of Dan Mintz), Louise (phonation of Kristen Schaal) and Gene (phonation of Eugene Mirman) — unravel a mystery that could save the restaurant.

Lightyear


| June 17

If there’due south one thing Pixar doesn’t need to make, it’south another
Cars
sequel. While
Toy Story 4
(2019) was surprisingly adept — though definitely the weakest of the four main films, in our view — we certainly didn’t need another. And we didn’t necessarily accept a standalone Buzz Lightyear movie on our Pixar bingo cards either.

Still, this ane doesn’t center on the Buzz we know; instead, it’southward the story of the character on which the well-known action effigy is based. And if this Buzz looks like he belongs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to y’all, you aren’t too far off every bit the smooth-talking space ranger volition be voiced by Captain America himself, Chris Evans.

Across Cap, the talented cast of vocalism actors includes Uzo Aduba, Keke Palmer, Josh Brolin and Taika Waititi.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero


| TBA (Summer 2022)

The simply thing longer than a
Dragon Ball Z
character’s powering upwards sequence is the long list of
Dragon Ball
movies. The
Dragon Ball Super
arc takes place during the ten-yr fourth dimension-skip later on Goku and the Z-fighters defeat Majin Buu.

Produced by Toei animation, the 2018 moving-picture show
Dragon Ball Super: Broly
— the 20th film in the
Dragon Brawl
franchise — was a large striking, then it’s not surprising to see a sequel hitting screens.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, like
Broly, is written by the creator of the
Dragon Ball
manga, Akira Toriyama. But
Super Hero
is a slight departure; it’s the beginning
Dragon Ball
film to characteristic nearly all 3D animation, which means information technology looks a lot similar a cutscene from a
Dragon Ball
video game. Still, the premise intrigues u.s.: the Red Ribbon Ground forces, now reformed, has sent the (fifty-fifty more deadly, surely) Androids Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 to seek revenge on Goku and his family.

Strange World


| Nov 23

Previously titled
Searcher Clade,
Strange Globe
tells the story of Ethan Clade and his family unit of explorers. Directed past Don Hall and written by Qui Nguyen, who nigh recently teamed up on
Raya and the Terminal Dragon
(2021),
Foreign World’southward plot was described by Disney Animation in fairly vague terms: the Clades will “[journeying] deep into an uncharted and treacherous country where fantastical creatures await.”

And although we don’t know besides much about this pulp magazine-inspired project, it’southward certainly giving united states of america
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
(2001) and
Treasure Planet
(2002) vibes, which we consider a wonderful thing. Plus, when Disney steps into territory that doesn’t audio super Disney at beginning (the 2014 adaptation of Marvel’s
Big Hero 6
or 2012’s
Wreck-It Ralph, for case), the results are usually pretty stellar.

Kayara


| Dec 1

Largely known for short films and iconic regional commercials, Tunche Films, a Peruvian studio, has started wading into the characteristic pic waters.

One of the studio’south first features,
Kayara, centers on the titular Incan teenager, who hopes to be the showtime woman to go an Inca Messenger (Chasquis).

When the fourth dimension comes to concur the Messenger Race, Kayara tries to complete the trial disguised as a swain. When her true identity is revealed, Huscar, a childhood friend who’s the son of the Incan Emperor, apology the long-standing tradition, allowing women to serve every bit Chasquis aslope the group’south men. While Kayara’s facing (and acing) the challenges of Chasquis training, Spanish Conquistadors appear, threatening the Golden City and forcing Kayara to make a life-altering decision.

How Do You Live?


| TBA (Winter 2022)

Since October 2017, Studio Ghibli fans have been eagerly anticipating
How Practice Y’all Live?, which is named after Yoshino Genzaburo’s classic 1937 novel of the aforementioned name. While the film doesn’t arrange the book, the plot revolves heavily around this real-world novel.

While we hoped the project might’ve wrapped in 2021, a 2022 release date is okay by united states of america; Studio Ghibli always handles its stories with care — and information technology shows. The most exciting part? Animation legend Hayao Miyazaki came out of retirement to work on
How Practice You lot Alive?

According to producer Toshio Suzuki, the onetime president of Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki decided to work on the film for his grandson, a way of proverb, Suzuki notes, that, “Grandpa is moving onto the next world soon but he is leaving behind this film.”

Super Mario


| December 21

Have you always wanted the team behind
Despicable Me
(2010) to bring Nintendo’due south Mario to life on the argent screen? Last year, the Mushroom Kingdom’southward almost in-need plumber/hero turned 40 and, this holiday season, he’ll be getting the Hollywood handling in
Super Mario.

It’s no clandestine that Mario and co. have struggled to make the leap from games to cartoons and films. There’s that truly difficult-to-watch animated series from the late ‘80s,
The Super Mario Bros. Super Testify!, which should only be shown at your local indie theater equally a somewhat-joke before an equally weird moving picture with a cult following. And who could forget the live-action romp
Super Mario Bros.
(1993), a comedic take on Mario and Luigi that saw the Brooklynites squaring off against Denis Hopper’s President Koopa in a parallel universe.

Have filmmakers learned from these box role “bob-ombs”? The jury is out on this 1. Chris Pratt has been bandage as Mario, and that fact lonely is leaving us pretty skeptical — not merely virtually the movie, but about the timeline we’re living in.

Disenchanted


| TBA 2022

Not too much is known about the details of this sequel to Disney’s 2007 hit film,
Enchanted. The original, which starred Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Susan Surandon and James Marsden, saw Disney princess and musical tropes meet the real globe — quite literally.

By blending live-action and animation, and tapping into some serious musical moments,
Enchanted
thrilled audiences of all ages. Set 10 years after Giselle’s (Adams) “happily ever after” in the real earth,
Disenchanted
sees our protagonist questioning her fate. Suburbia isn’t exactly a fairy-tale catastrophe —
WandaVision
certainly taught us that in 2021 — only an sick-cast spell (and Maya Rudolph’s nefarious customs leader Malvina Monroe) makes things fifty-fifty worse.

Wendell and Wild


| TBA 2022

Wendell and Wild
marks managing director and scriptwriter Henry Selick’south outset characteristic pic since the 2009 archetype
Coraline. Much like the Laika Studios hit,
Wendell and Wild
is a end-motion flick, full of both moments of one-act and horror — and set against a like nighttime fantasy properties.

Even if
Coraline
isn’t one of your favorite animated films (nosotros’ll let it slide — this time),
Wendell and Wild
should brand your watchlist for one key reason: the scheming demon brothers are voiced by Keegan-Michael Cardinal and Jordan Peele, respectively.

And who doesn’t want to witness the one-act duo take on a demon-hating nun and her goth teen acolytes?

Suzume Locking Upwards the Doors
| November 11 (Japan), TBA (U.S.)

Yous may be familiar with writer/director Makoto Shinkai’s work cheers to the highly successful films he and CoMix Wave Films have turned out in recent years. While Shinkai’s
Weathering with You
became the highest-grossing film in Nihon in 2019 (and the country’s entry for the Oscars that year), it might be some other i of the visionary director’s fantasy-romance anime films that y’all recognize.

A disquisitional and commercial success,
Your Name
(2016) became one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time, joining the ranks of global hitting
Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) The Picture: Mugen Railroad train
(2020) and Studio Ghibli’s masterpiece
Spirited Abroad
(2001). Needless to say, Shinkai has quite the fanbase, and then his upcoming film,
Suzume no Tojimari
(lit.
Suzume’s Locking-Up) is definitely one of the most hotly anticipated blithe films of the twelvemonth.

Set to hit theaters in Nippon on November 11, 2022, the picture, which has been titled
Suzume Locking Upwards the Doors
for its forthcoming English-language release, looks just as beautifully animated as Shinkai’s previous work. While we don’t know also many details (and that’south probably for the all-time), the story revolves around the titular character Suzume, a 17-twelvemonth-old daughter who lives in a quiet village. 1 24-hour interval, she comes across a boy who’s looking for a door — and, when she follows him to the mountains, she spots a an erstwhile door, which looks like it’south the just remaining piece of a larger construction.

The Witch Boy
| TBA 2022

Based on Molly Knox Osterag’s
New York Times
bestselling novel series of the same proper name,
The Witch Male child
is an upcoming animated musical that’ll (hopefully) hit Netflix later this yr. Initially, it seemed like a 2021 release engagement was in the cards, but the film is currently in pre-production. Withal, it’ll no doubt exist worth the wait.

Directed by Oscar-nominated director Minkyu Lee, this celebration of queerness follows Aster, a immature boy who discovers he has witch powers. Withal, in his magical community, girls are born to be witches, while boys are meant to grow upward as shapeshifters. With his secret at chance of beingness exposed and a mysterious forcefulness threatening his world, Aster embarks on a journey to reveal the truth nearly his powers — and himself.

Oh, and did nosotros mention that HAIM is writing the music? Hither’southward hoping 2022 ends up being the year we finally get to see
Witch Male child
on Netflix.

DELAYED —

Spider-Homo: Beyond the Spider-Verse
(Part One)
| June 2, 2023

Motility over, Peter Parker — all of the Peter Parkers, that is — considering our favorite Spidey film centers on Miles Morales (voice of Shameik Moore), a Black Puerto Rican teen from Brooklyn who fears he’s non living upwardly to his father’south high expectations. In 2018’s
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spidey fate saw Miles bitten by a radioactive arachnid and taking up the Spider-Man mantle when Peter Parker dies in combat.

Overwhelmed by his new powers and fate, Miles, thankfully, learns the ropes (er, webs?) from fellow Spider-People — at that place’south another universe’due south Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), a noir-themed Spidey (Nic Cage), Peter Porker (John Mulaney) and a mecha-adapt Spidey piloted by Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn).

While the Spider-folk parted ways at the end of the Oscar-winning
Spider-Verse, the multiverse shenanigans are back in Sony’s highly anticipated
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. From the truly unique, comic book-inspired animation to the alloy of laughs and moments of empowerment, installments in this serial are always going to make the pinnacle of our lists.

In April of 2022, Sony announced that
Across the Spider-Verse
would be delayed by several months. Now, the offset part of the sequel pic volition debut on June two, 2023, with
Part Two
releasing on March 29, 2024. Peradventure, in a different universe, we would be getting more Spidey in 2022.

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