2022 already? I think we can all agree that while 2020 never seemed that it would end, 2021 just zoomed by us! Maybe it was a better year than 2020, maybe it was more of the same, but whatever the case may be, it’s nearing its end.

We hope that 2022 will be an even better year for us and hopefully we can be free of this pandemic that we’re in! Good thing we have films (animated films, in particular) to keep us occupied. Let’s take a look at the upcoming animated films set to be released in 2022.

Keep in mind that I’ll only be mentioning films with set (US) release dates and that I won’t be mentioning any live-action/animated hybrid films. Also because the pandemic has shown us that streaming is pretty much a reality that’s not going away anytime soon, I will be including animated films debuting on streaming services as well.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy this list with me!

1) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA
[January 14, 2022]

Sony Animation graces us with two films in 2022. The first of these, originally planned to be released this year, but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this fourth entry in the Hotel Transylvania films asks the question, “What if the monsters were humans and the humans were monsters?”. It’s set to be the final film of the series.

W/the voices of Brian Hull, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Fran Drescher, Jim Gaffigan, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Molly Shannon, Keegan-Michael Key, etc.
Directed by Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon

2) THE ICE AGE ADVENTURES OF BUCK WILD
[January 28, 2022]

When Disney shut down Blue Sky Studios earlier this year, we thought that would be the end of the Ice Age films. We were wrong. This fifth entry in the Ice Age franchise will have its animation outsourced to Bardel Entertainment and will focus on the possums and Buck Wild from the third film having adventures of their own. Great.

W/the voices of Aaron Harris, Vincent Tong, Simon Pegg, Utkarsh Ambudkar, etc.
Directed by John C. Donkin

3) LUCK
[February 18, 2022]

Skydance Animation is a new animation studio that also graces us with two films in 2022. The first of these films involves a girl who stumbles upon a world of good luck, bad luck, and magical creatures.

W/the voices of Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, etc.
Directed by Peggy Holmes

4) TURNING RED
[March 11, 2022]

Pixar graces us with two films in 2022 as well. The first of these involves a teenage Canadian Asian girl who transforms into a red panda whenever she experiences high levels of emotion.

W/the voices of Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Jordan Fisher, Finneas O’Connell, etc.
Directed by Domee Shi

5) THE BAD GUYS
[April 22, 2022]

DreamWorks Animation also graces us with two films in 2022. The first of these, based on the children’s series of the same name, features a gang of criminal animals who decide to leave their life of crime and become good.

W/the voices of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Lilly Singh, etc.
Directed by Pierre Perifel

6) DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS
[May 20, 2022]

Warner Animation Group gives us a film about Superman’s dog, Krypto, who forms a team of super-pets.

W/ the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Vanessa Bayer, John Krasinski, Keanu Reeves, Kate McKinnon, Jameela Jamil, etc.
Directed by Jared Stern

7) THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE
[May 27, 2022]

Originally planned to be released in 2020 and then in 2021, this film based on the television series of the same name is set to be released in 2022. Not much is known of the plot yet.

W/ the voices of H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, etc.
Directed by Loren Bouchard

8) LIGHTYEAR
[June 17, 2022]

Pixar’s second film of the year will tell the origin story of the beloved Toy Story character, Buzz Lightyear. I’m pretty sure it will retcon Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

W/the voices of Chris Evans, Taika Waititi, etc.
Directed by Angus MacLane

9) MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU
[July 1, 2022]

Illumination Entertainment will also grace us with two films in 2022. The first of these, originally scheduled to be released in 2020, then in 2021, will serve as a sequel to the 2015 Minions film and as a prequel to the Despicable Me franchise. In this film, young Gru utilizes the help of the Minions to steal from a supervillain group that didn’t accept him as a member.

W/the voices of Pierre Coffin, Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Alan Arkin, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Dolph Lundgren, Lucy Lawless, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Danny Trejo, etc.
Directed by Kyle Balda

10) UNDER THE BOARDWALK
[July 22, 2022]

We don’t know much about Paramount Animation’s film of the year other than it will be about a clash between sea crab tourists and crab townies on the Jersey Shore.

No voice cast announced yet.
Directed by David Soren

11) PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH
[September 23, 2022]

DreamWorks Animation’s second film of the year will serve as a sequel to the 2011 film, Puss in Boots. Not much is known about the plot yet.

W/the voices of Antonio Banderas, etc.
Directed by Joel Crawford

12) SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (PART ONE)
[October 7, 2022]

Sony Animation’s second film of the year will serve as a sequel to the 2018 film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. In this sequel, Miles Morales will adventure with Gwen across the multiverse to battle a new villain with a new team of Spider-People.

W/the voices of Shameik Moore, Oscar Isaac, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Issa Rae, etc.
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson

13) SPELLBOUND
[November 11, 2022]

Skydance Animation’s second film of the year will involve magical powers and spells. Besides that, not much else is known.

No voice cast announced yet.
Directed by Vicky Jenson

14) STRANGE WORLD
[November 23, 2022]

We arrive at the official Disney Canon film of the year. Not much is known yet about the film other than it will be about a family of adventurers and pay tribute to pulp fiction novels of yesteryear.

No voice cast announced yet.
Directed by Don Hall

15) UNTITLED MARIO FILM
[December 21, 2022]

Illumination Entertainment’s second film of the year is one that has caused much drama on the Internet due to Chris Pratt voicing the mustachioed plumber. Besides that, not much else is known about the film other than it will take place in the Mario universe.

W/ the voices of Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Charles Martinet, etc.
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic

The top three animated films of 2022 that I’m most looking forward to are Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One), The Bad Guys, and Lightyear.

Which three animated films of 2022 are you most looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!