Animated Movies

Bee Movie
Release Date: November 2, 2007
Director: Steve Hickner, Simon J. Smith
Screenwriter: Jerry Seinfeld, Barry Marder, Spike Feresten, Andy Robin
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, Alan Arkin, Kathy Bates, Robert Duvall, Eric Idle, Larry King, William H. Macy, Tim Blake Nelson, Uma Thurman, Patrick Warburton, Oprah Winfrey, Matthew Broderick
Official Website: BeeMovie.com
Plot Summary: "Bee Movie" is the comedic tale of Barry B. Benson, a graduate bee fresh out of college, who is disillusioned with the prospect of having only one career choice -- honey. On a chance opportunity to go outside the hive, Barry's life is saved by a woman, Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, Barry's eyes are opened to the world of humans and he soon discovers that people partake in the mass consumption of honey. Armed with this information, Barry realizes his true calling in life and decides to sue the human race for stealing the bees' honey. As a result, the bee and human communities get involved in ways they never had before, each one of them pointing a finger at the other. Barry gets caught up in the middle and finds himself with some very unusual problems to solve.

Beowulf
Release Date: November 16, 2007
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Screenwriter: Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, John Malkovich, Brendan Gleeson, Dominic Keating, Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn, Ray Winstone
Genre: Action, Animated, War
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Beowulfmovie.com
Plot Summary: In a time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf slays the demon Grendel and incurs the wrath of its monstrous yet seductive mother, in a conflict that transforms a king into a legend.

Groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis offers a vision of the Beowulf saga that has never been told before. Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Shangri-la Entertainment present "Beowulf," starring Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother, Anthony Hopkins as the corrupt King Hrothgar, and Ray Winstone as Beowulf. The film also stars John Malkovich, Brendan Gleeson, Dominic Keating, Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn and Ray Winstone.

Neil Gaiman ("MirrorMask," the graphic novel Sandman) and Roger Avary ("Pulp Fiction") adapted the legend for the screen.

Horton Hears a Who
Release Date: March 14, 2008
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
Screenwriter: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio
Starring: Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell, Carol Burnett, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Isla Fisher, Dan Fogler, Amy Poehler, Dane Cook, Jaime Pressly, Jonah Hill
Genre: Animation, Family
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: The film is based on the beloved book, first published in 1954, by Ted Geisel, who wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss. "Horton Hears a Who" is about an imaginative elephant who hears a cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. Suspecting there may be life on that speck and despite a surrounding community which thinks he has lost his mind, Horton is determined to help.

The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything -- A VeggieTales Movie
Release Date: 1st Quarter 2008
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Mike Nawrocki
Screenwriter: Phil Vischer
Starring: Mike Nawrocki, Phil Vischer
Genre: Adventure, Animation
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: From the creators of 2002's wildly successful "Jonah--A VeggieTales Movie" comes a new story of heroism in the beloved VeggieTales' world, "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." Now, we follow the comic misadventures of three animated veggie pals who reluctantly set sail for adventure and discover that real heroes don't have to be tall, strong, handsome...or even human.

Garrrrr! Working at The Pirate Times Dinner Theater is less than exciting when you're a busboy. For three moping misfits-- Elliot, Sedgewick and George (Larry the Cucumber, Mr. Lunt and Pa Grape)-all they dream of is the day when they can ditch their dishrags and take stage to star in the big pirate show.

But with Elliot's timidity, Sedgewick's laziness and George's lack of self-confidence, it seems as if the day to prove who they really are will never come...

Things are about to change when a mysterious ball drops from the sky and lands at the unlikely seafarers' feet. A "Helpseeker" sent from the past in search of heroes, the artifact sets in motion a series of events that drags the friends back to the 17th century--and into the belly of certain danger. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything must each face their fears--becoming unlikely heroes in a battle to rescue a royal family from an evil tyrant, and themselves from living the life of common couch potatoes.

The latest in a franchise that has sold over 40 million DVDs/videos since its 1993 inception, "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything--A VeggieTales Movie" continues the hit series' values-based lessons in teaching kids what it really means to be a hero.

Kung Fu Panda

Release Date: June 6, 2008
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Director: John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
Screenwriter: Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab
Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Ian McShane
Genre: Animation, Comedy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: KungFuPanda.com
Plot Summary: "Kung Fu Panda" features Jack Black as Po the Panda, a lowly waiter in a noodle restaurant, who is a kung fu fanatic but whose shape doesn't exactly lend itself to kung fu fighting. In fact, Po's defining characteristic appears to be that he is the laziest of all the animals in ancient China. That's a problem because powerful enemies are at the gates, and all hopes have been pinned on a prophesy naming Po as the "Chosen One" to save the day. A group of martial arts masters are going to need a black belt in patience if they are going to turn this slacker panda into a kung fu fighter before it's too late.

WALL• E
Release Date: June 27, 2008
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Andrew Stanton
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Animation
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: A new animated film from Pixar. "Wall-E" is the saddest, tiny robot you’ve ever seen, he is a garbage collector on a flat, empty planet. The cute little robot has faithfully done his job for 700 years, but never found his true purpose… until now.

American Dog
Release Date: Summer 2008
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Chris Sanders
Screenwriter: Not available
Starring: Not available
Genre: Animation, Family
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: A TV star dog drinks martinis with starlets and showboats on sets until he is suddenly abandoned in his trailer in the Nevada desert where he meets up with a radioactive rabbit and a one-eyed cat who are trying to find new homes.

Madagascar: The Crate Escape
Release Date: November 7, 2008
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Director: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Not Available

Opus: The Last Christmas
Release Date: December 19, 2008
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Director: Tim Bjorklund, Paul Taylor
Screenwriter: Craig Mazin
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Animation, Comedy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: An animated comedy starring the popular Opus the Penguin from Berke Breathed's "Bloom County" comic strip.

Space Chimps
Release Date: TBA 2008
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Kirk De Micco
Screenwriter: Simon Goltsman, Kirk De Micco
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Stanley Tucci, Patrick Warburton, Cheryl Hines
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: "Space Chimps" is a comedy adventure about two NASA chimps that are sent to a galaxy far, far away. One chimp has 'The Right Stuff,' and the other, a good natured goofball, has 'The Wrong Stuff.' The two chimps find themselves on a strange, uncharted planet, where they embark on a fantastical journey to save its inhabitants from a tyrannical leader.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Director: Not Available
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Animation
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: The timeless tale will be adapted from Ron and Judi Barrett's book, which illustrates a world where giant pancakes and pasta fall from the sky as a scientist tries to solve world hunger. However, things go terribly wrong when excess amounts of food overload cities and towns.

Monsters vs. Aliens
Release Date: May 15, 2009
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Director: Not Available
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Animation
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: A DreamWorks Animation film based on the horror comicbook "Rex Havoc," about a monster hunter called upon to battle aliens who disrupt cable TV service.

Release Date: June 12, 2009

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Andrew Stanton
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Animation
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Pete Docter, the Pixar lifer who made "Monsters Inc.," and co-director Bob Peterson are preparing this "coming-of-old-age story" about a seventysomething guy who lives in a house that "looks like your grandparents' house smelled." He befriends a clueless young Wilderness Ranger and gets into lots of alter kocker altercations. Says Pixar: "Our hero travels the globe, fights beasts and villains and eats dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon."

Ice Age III
Release Date: July 1, 2009
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Not Available
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: The continuing adventures of Manny, Sid & Diego.

Hotel Transylvania
Release Date: September 25, 2009
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: Anthony Stacchi, David Feiss
Screenwriter: Don Rhymer
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Animation, Comedy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: "Hotel Transylvania" is about a group of classic monsters including Frankenstein, the Mummy, Dracula and the Werewolf who are hiding out in a hotel on the outskirts of Transylvania now that 21st century technology has seemingly made them irrelevant.

Rapunzel
Release Date: Summer 2009
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Glenn Keane, Dean Wellins
Screenwriter: Josann McGibbon, Sara Parriott
Starring: Dan Fogler, Kristin Chenoweth
Genre: Animation, Family, Musical
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Described as a new version of the classic fairy tale with a twist.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Release Date: November 6, 2009
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Wes Anderson
Screenwriter: Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach
Starring: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett
Genre: Animation
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: The stop-motion film, marking Anderson's first foray into animation, is an adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's story, centering on a clever fox who must outwit three mean, dimwitted farmers who try their hardest to hurt Mr. Fox and his family. Clooney will voice Mr. Fox, while Blanchett voices his wife.

How to Train Your Dragon
Release Date: November 20, 2009
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Director: Not Available
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Action, Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Meet Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, heir of the Viking chiefdom, but a boy with one very big problem: a hero he is not. "How to Train Your Dragon' is the riotous story of Hiccup's quest to hunt down the fiercest dragon, bring it into submission, and—hopefully—pass his initiation. Instead, he ends up with the smallest, most ornery dragon—it's even toothless! Thus begins the hijinx of the world's most lovable, unlikely hero and a most reluctant "beast." Packed with energetic drawings and plenty of action, this boisterous tale is just right for fantasy fans or anyone with a spirit of adventure. Based on the book by Cressida Cowell.

The Frog Princess
Release Date: TBA 2009
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Screenwriter: John Musker, Ron Clements
Starring: Anika Noni Rose
Genre: Animation, Musical
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: A musical set in the legendary birthplace of jazz -- New Orleans -- "The Frog Princess" will introduce the newest Disney princess, Maddy, a young African-American girl living amid the charming elegance and grandeur of the fabled French Quarter. From the heart of Louisiana's mystical bayous and the banks of the mighty Mississippi comes an unforgettable tale of love, enchantment and discovery with a soulful singing crocodile, voodoo spells and Cajun charm at every turn. Randy Newman will write songs and the score for the film.

Gatchaman

Release Date: TBA 2009
Studio: Imagi Studios
Director: Kevin Munroe
Screenwriter: Robert Mark Kamen
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Based on the successful Japanese anime franchise created by Tatsuo Yoshida in 1972, "Gatchaman" revolves around a team of five young superhero ninjas who must save the world from alien occupation. With over 200 TV episodes, "Gatchaman" has delighted fans around the world for more than 30 years.

Toy Story 3

Release Date: TBA 2010

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Lee Unkrich
Screenwriter: Michael Arndt
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Based Upon: This is the third movie in the popular Toy Story series starring Tim Allen and Tom Hanks.
Premise: In this second sequel to Toy Story, Woody and the other toys head to Europe.

Shrek Goes Fourth

Release Date: May 21, 2010
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Director: Mike Mitchell
Screenwriter: Tim Sullivan, Josh Klausner
Starring: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: The fourth chapter in the further adventures of Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona.

Puss in Boots
Release Date: Summer, 2011 (estimated)
Release Date Notes: (12/13/06) Dreamworks Animation originally conceived of this 'Shrek' spin-off as a direct-to-DVD project, but announced earlier this year that they are expanding it to become a full-fledged theatrical release. An exact release date hasn't been announced yet, only that it will be sometime after the 2010 release of Shrek 4.
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Company: Dreamworks Animation
Cast: Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots) (voice); other voice cast not announced yet.
Cast Notes: (12/13/06) It's possible that some of the other familiar characters from the 'Shrek' franchise may also appear in this movie (Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, etc.), but so far, only Antonio Banderas is confirmed for sure.
Director: Not announced yet
Screenwriter: David H. Steinber and Jon Zack
Based Upon: (12/13/06) This movie is a spin-off of the popular 'Shrek' series, following 2001's Shrek, 2004's Shrek 2, 2007's Shrek the Third and the planned Shrek 4.
Premise: The great ogre killer, Puss in Boots (Banderas), leaps into action in his own adventure, the details of which aren't known yet (12/13/06).

Gatchaman
Release Date: TBA
Studio: Imagi Studios
Director: Kevin Munroe
Screenwriter: Robert Mark Kamen
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available
Plot Summary: Based on the successful Japanese anime franchise created by Tatsuo Yoshida in 1972, "Gatchaman" revolves around a team of five young superhero ninjas who must save the world from alien occupation. With over 200 TV episodes, "Gatchaman" has delighted fans around the world for more than 30 years.

Thru the Moebius Strip

Release Date: Unknown

Type of Animation: Computer Generated Imagery (CGI)

Cast: (voices) Mark Hamill, Christ Marquette, Michael Dorn, Kellie Martin, Jean Simmons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas; other cast not announced yet.

Premise: Described as an intergalactic take on Jack and the Beanstalk, this is the story of physicist Simon Weir, who becomes lost and trapped in a space-time portal he created. Eight years later, his son, Jac Weir, must search for him through a myriad number of planets, filled with wondrous sights and often gigantic beings. Once finding his father, Jac discovers that part of the "rescue" process is going to involve helping his father's giant alien friend regain his throne.

Bionicle

Release Date: Unknown

Type of Animation: CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery)

Cast: None announced yet.
Based Upon: This movie is inspired by the "Bionicle" line of robot toys produced by LEGO. This will be the first theatrically-released movie based on the toys, but it will actually be preceded by the direct-to-video DVD title, 'Bionicle: Mask of Light', which was produced by Creative Capers Entertainment on a budget of $5.2 million. There have already been comic books, video games, trading cards and more based on these toys.
Premise: The exact details of this movie's plot aren't yet known, except that it depicts the adventures of a group of six robotic heroes collectively called the Toa who join forces to collect ancient artifacts called the Masks of Power in an effort to defeat Makuta, an evil ruler who has taken over the island of Mata Nui.

The Water Warriors

Release Date: Unknown

Type of Animation: CGI (Computer Generated Imagery)

Cast (Voice): Patrick Stewart, Stephen Fry, Miriam Margolyes; other cast not announced yet

Premise: A mighty alien empire sends their greatest, most fearsome warship on a mission to conquer the planet Earth... with one hitch. Misjudging the dimensions of the planet, when the (tiny) aliens land in and English pond, they take the frogs (and other amphibians) that live there to be indicative of life on the planet, and our only hope at that. Soon, the two sides are engaged in a solid alien-vs-amphibian battle for the sake of Earth, or at least, someone's backyard in England. It sounds a bit like a cross between Wind in the Willows and Micronauts.

Bone

Release Date: Unknown; it will depend upon when (and if) principle animation production begins.

Type of Animation: Traditional animation in the same style as the original comics.
Cast: No voice actors announced yet.

Based Upon: The acclaimed graphic novels and comic books of the same title by Jeff Smith, published by Cartoon Books.
Sequel Note: If the first film is a success, it could be the first of a trilogy that brings most of the epic story from the comics to the big screen. Smith's plan is for this first first film to end where the "Dragonslayer" epic ended in the comics.
Premise: Three cousins from Boneville (Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone) end up in an uncharted land filled with strange creatures. Now, they have to figure out to get back home to Boneville... one thing to worry about first? Dragons. Second things? Rat Creatures. This is an animated fantasy epic that the production company compares to Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

Tortoise Vs Hare

Release Date: Unknown; that will depend upon when/if filming eventually gets started.

Type of Animation: Stop-motion clay figures.

Cast: None announced as confirmed yet.

Based Upon: The fable, The Tortoise and the Hare , by Aesop about an inter-species marathon. Walt Disney made a nine-minute short version of this story in 1935.
Premise: This is the story of a race between a tortoise and a hare (Whitehouse). One kept a good steady pace, even though it was quite slow, while the other was sure of himself and fooled around instead of concentrating on the task at hand... (7/1/00) During a BBC Chat, Nick Park revealed that this film is comparable to This is Spinal Tap and Rocky. What can we get from that? One is a pseudo-documentary; and the other is an underdog sports movie. Combine the two, add some clay, a racing story, a tortoise, and a hare, and I guess you get this film. (Hoskins voices a Welsh hamster that is the Tortoise's fitness trainer)

Tusker

Release Date: Unknown; this project is currently on hold at PDI/DreamWorks

Type of Animation: 3-D CGI (Computer Generated Images).
Cast: (voices) Jodie Foster, Morgan Freeman, Dana Carvey, Garry Shandling; other cast not announced yet.

Premise (quoted from PDI): "Tusker follows a herd of elephants on a perilous trek across Southeast Asia. In their travels, they encounter a wide variety of dangers, including a group of marauding poachers who (sic) the elephants must elude if they are to complete their journey." (Freeman voices the leader of the herd; Foster voices a young female) (6/11/01) USA Today quoted Jeffrey Katzenberg this weekend as comparing it to WWII movies like the The Dirty Dozen and The Guns of Navarone, in that it's about "a band of screw-ups [that] have to go on an impossible mission in order to save the rest of the herd."