The Super Mario Bros Movie 2
Following the financial success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), the animated film industry is buzzing with anticipation for the upcoming The Super Mario Bros Movie 2, which is set to create a lot of excitement. The first installment of The Super Mario Bros. Movie made a significant impact and broke records as the highest-grossing animated film in history. According to Digital Spy, the production team has yet to reveal the official title of the sequel, and it is only referred to as the next installment. This suggests that this film may also serve as a spin-off.
With a collaboration between advanced animation technology and outstanding voice actors, the film is poised not only to attract younger audiences but also to engage adult fans of the Mario brand.
The first part of the film introduces Mario and his brother Luigi—two plumbers who get swept into an alternate universe that forces them to part ways. While Mario embarks on a journey to the Mushroom Kingdom, Luigi ends up in the Dark Lands and gets captured. The sequel is expected to broaden the universe beyond the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Lands to include a variety of new adventures.
The Super Mario Bros Movie 2 is set to release in the U.S. on April 3, 2026, and in Japan on April 24, 2026.
Toy Story 5
Toy Story 5 is scheduled for release on June 19, 2026. In this return, Toy Story 5 is expected to “redeem” any shortcomings from the previous installment, Lightyear (2022). The storyline details for the fifth installment have yet to be disclosed. Previously, Toy Story 4 achieved significant global success with a total box office revenue exceeding $1 billion.
The next installment of Toy Story is expected to focus more on other characters or even introduce new toys. However, according to Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, Toy Story 5 will still center primarily on Woody and Buzz, similar to the previous four installments.
Docter also hinted that Toy Story 5 will present unexpected twists for audiences with several plot details yet to be revealed: “I think the essential element for us is to develop original stories that continually excite viewers.”
Shrek 5
DreamWorks Animation has announced that Shrek 5 is currently in development and will be released on July 1, 2026. The stars linked with the Shrek franchise, including Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz, are all confirmed to reprise their roles in the sequel. However, the return of Antonio Banderas as “Puss in Boots” has yet to be confirmed.
In June, Eddie Murphy revealed that he is currently in the process of recording for “Shrek 5” and will also lend his voice to the spin-off about Donkey.
“We just started working on Shrek 5 a few months ago. I have recorded some parts already and will continue to do so this year. We are working on Shrek and then moving on to Donkey,” Murphy shared.
Between 2001 and 2010, the Shrek franchise released four films. This franchise helped establish DreamWorks Animation as a major player in the film industry, with the first Shrek film grossing $487 million worldwide. The films also surpassed many other titles in the animated film category and won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Shrek 2 also achieved impressive box office success with $928 million. Both films competed for the “Golden Palm” at the Cannes Film Festival.
Frozen 3
With two highly successful previous installments, Frozen 3 will continue to be developed by Disney as part of their production plans. Variety cites director Jennifer Lee, who states, “She has come up with an astonishing idea for the next installment of Frozen 3 and is very much looking forward to it.” According to an official announcement from Walt Disney, the studio plans to release Frozen 3 on November 25, 2026, marking 13 years since the first film’s theatrical debut.
Frozen follows the journey of a girl named Anna as she embarks on a quest to find her sister, Elsa, the Snow Queen, who has the power to control the wind and snow but is currently trapped in an eternal winter due to a curse. The story revolves around the triumph of love over adversity as the characters battle against formidable challenges to discover the true value of love.
With a revenue close to £1.3 billion, Frozen is one of the most famous and successful animated films of all time. Besides winning the 2014 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Frozen also won the award for Best Original Song with the hit “Let It Go.”
