Will 2024 be Animation’s Big Year?

 While, historically, animations have tended to play a lesser role than live productions in the Hollywood ecosystem, we’ve seen some startling (and well-deserved) successes from the animated film market in recent years, including Sony’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron. With some fantastic releases on the cards for animated productions, will 2024 see this sometimes-neglected niche get the love it deserves? Our local expert, Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney Brandon Blake, looks at what is coming for animation lovers this year.

Brandon Blake

A Lot to Live Up To

From the bittersweet swansong of what will likely be legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki’s last Studio Ghibli project, through to the unexpected (and massive) commercial success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which powered over the $1B international mark, 2023 brought some fantastic animated success stories to the table. While it is a lot for any following year to live up to, 2024 does have a surprisingly robust animation slate. Perhaps more importantly, it also covers everything from big studio franchises and child-orientated fare right through to ‘animation for grown-ups’. That level of diverse audience and film size has been critical in the successes we’ve seen in the post-pandemic period and is a great marker for the box office overall.

Releases to Watch

There are over 20 animated releases scheduled for 2024, including Kung Fu Panda 4, which has already proven to be something of a runaway success. Great Pretender Razbliuto builds on the unexpected success of Great Pretender in the difficult 2020 year, while Netflix’s Orion and the Dark offers some kid-friendly fare with an adult twist that looks like a strong performer.

 

2024 will also bring us the long-awaited release of The Tiger’s Apprentice from Paramount, while The Garfield Movie may well turn into one of the biggest box office hits for the year. Chicken for Linda has already received much love from critics and the festival circuit. Robot Dreams, a silent animation, secured itself an Oscar and now has a full theatrical release to look forward to.

 

With more ‘expected’ hits like Despicable Me 4, Inside Out 2, Transformers One, and Moana 2 also set for release this year, alongside another take on the Lion King story from Disney and the much-anticipated Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim on the cards, 2024 is looking like a year in which animation will sparkle at the box office. Let’s hope to see some fantastic results ahead!

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