The Animation Blog

‘Sofia the First: Royal Magic’ Teaser Trailer, Release Date, Synopsis and Voice Cast

February 19, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: May, 2026 on Disney Jr. and Disney+.

Synopsis: Sofia the First: Royal Magic follows Sofia as she attends The Charmswell School for Royal Magic, where she discovers she is the most magical princess in the realm and must learn how to master her powers while making new royal friends.

Created by Craig Gerber.

Voice cast:
Ariel Winter as Princess Sofia
Nate Torrence as Pepper, Sofia’s puppy-unicorn
Mela Pietropaolo as Layla, Sofia’s friend
Kai Harris as Zane, Sofia’s friend
Aaliyah Magcasi as Camila, Sofia’s friend
Darcy Rose Byrnes as Princess Amber
Jess Harnell as Cedric
Wayne Brady as Clover
Tim Gunn as Baileywick
Eric Stonestreet as Minimus
Sara Ramirez as Queen Miranda
Travis Willingham as King Roland

‘Bass X Machina’ Starring Brian Tyree Henry and Janelle Monáe Arrives on Netflix in October 2026

February 18, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: October 6, 2026 on Netflix.

Synopsis: In a lawless Steampunk West overrun by brutal outlaws, machines, and supernatural terrors, a father is forced to become judge, jury, and executioner — knowing that every act of justice meant to protect his family may ultimately cost him the very people he’s fighting to save.

Voice cast:
Brian Tyree Henry as Bass
Janelle Monáe as Glory
Tati Gabrielle as Dana
Cree Summer as Ahni
Chaske Spencer as Lighthorse
Currie Graham as Rivenbark
Starletta DuPoi as Etta

Original music by Roman GianArthur and Nate Wonder.

100 Classic Animated Series Coming to Tubi — Watch Animaniacs, The Powerpuff Girls, Teen Titans and More

February 17, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Warner Bros. Discovery and Tubi have agreed to a deal that brings 100 titles to the free, ad-supported streaming service.

Animated series available March 1, 2026:
Animaniacs
The Powerpuff Girls
Teen Titans
The Batman
Ben 10 (2005)
Pinky and the Brain
Justice League
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Dexter’s Laboratory
Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy
Courage The Cowardly Dog
Taz-Mania
Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends
Codename: Kids Next Door
The Mask (Animated)
Yogi’s Gang

Complete list of animated series coming to Tubi throughout 2026 and beyond:

Short Film Spotlight: Budo

February 16, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: A lonely widow finds comfort in the company of a hungry stray cat, which soon takes over her life in unimaginable ways.

Written by Alexander Toma.

Directed by Alexander Toma and Amanda Aagard.

Cinematography, Edit and Sound Design by Alexander Toma.

Set Design and Character Design by Amanda Aagard.

Original Soundtrack by Isak Lundholm.

Sound Mix and Mastering by Anders Kwarnmark.

Voiced by Mayuko Lindström, Emrik Lindström, Kiyomi Nishimatsu, Mai Mashiro and Moriyuki Hishida.

Short Film Spotlight: Solar Blues

February 15, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: The Sun is a magical artisan who is making his very own starry sky, but an unexpected visit from eight chaotic planets turn his world upside down.

Directed by:
Timaa Alquier
Sandra Calero Ibañez
Gabrielle Demarigny
Emma Murillo
Maelle Samson

Music and Sound Design by Aloïs Benoit.

Short Film Spotlight: Inner

February 14, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: During a battle in an organic world, a white blood cell captures a virus and begins to take him to prison. But the journey brings the two enemies closer, and they must choose between accepting their love or staying true to their duty.

Directed by:
Jonah Montier
Simon Brejoux
Gibril Siline
Carla Kaddam
Tess benedetti
Justin Phillipps
Nolwenn Queval
Claire Alberny
Lucie Gonzalez

Music by Adèle Chavy.

Sound by Tristan Le Bozec, Sébastien Fournier and José Vicente.

Voiced by Nesrine Tkitek and Jonah Montier.

Short Film Spotlight: The Brightest Star

February 13, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: When a curious child falls into a long-forgotten cave, she is confronted by a mysterious spirit and must decide whether the being is kindhearted or something more perilous.

Written and directed by Tompswell.

Director’s note: I was driven to create this film because of two reasons. Firstly, I grew up with classic Disney and Studio Ghibli animations and have been a huge fan ever since.

The second reason is that I needed to process the difficult emotions dealing with the loss of a loved one.

The question “what happens after we die?” is a scary one, and it may be comforting to imagine that we won’t have to face it alone.

‘ChaO’ Official Trailer and Release Date: GKIDS Acquires North American Rights to Yasuhiro Aoki’s Romantic Comedy

February 12, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Theatrical release date: April 10, 2026.

Synopsis: In a fantastical future, humans and mermaids share a troubled coexistence.

Stephan, an anxious employee at a shipbuilding company, has big ideas to save the sea. But his life explodes into ecstatic chaos when bubbly mermaid princess Chao proposes marriage out of the blue.

Between shopping sprees, giant robots, and actual fireworks, the unlikely pair flounder through their new romance and unlock their true feelings.

Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki.

Character designs by Hirokazu Kojima.

Music by Takatsugu Muramatsu.

GKIDS Acquires Bruno Bozzetto’s ‘Allegro Non Troppo’ — New Trailer and Poster Revealed

February 11, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

GKIDS has acquired the North American rights to the Bruno Bozzetto catalog, including Allegro Non Troppo.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the newly restored animated musical will screen at Metrograph in New York City starting March 27, 2026.

Synopsis: An enterprising producer believes he has hit upon a winning concept: a program of original animated shorts set to classical music.

Undeterred by warnings that this has already been done by an American named ‘Prisney,’ he rallies an orchestra of geriatric women, a bullish conductor, and an animator that he keeps locked in the dungeon. What could go wrong?

A gleeful sendup of Disney’s Fantasia, Allegro Non Troppo blends live-action slapstick with cheeky animation for a film as joyful and raunchy as it is thoughtful and cutting.

Short Film Spotlight: BOOM

February 10, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: A couple of birds try to save their eggs from a volcanic eruption.

Directed by:
Gabriel Augerai
Romain Augier
Laurie Pereira de Figueiredo
Charles Di Cicco
Yannick Jacquin

Original Score by Mathis Marchal.

Sound Editing by Yannick Jacquin.

BOOM was shortlisted for the 96th Oscars and won a Gold Medal at the Student Academy Awards.

Short Film Spotlight: Pow!

February 9, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: Jake, a Native American kid, struggles to charge his dying video game console at a bustling Coastal Salish intertribal powwow — where he learns that loving video games and loving your culture aren’t mutually exclusive.

Made by a largely Indigenous team and with an all-Native voice cast.

Written and directed by Joey Clift.

Music by Jordan Kamalu.

Sound design and mix by Jeff Carpenter.

Voice cast:
Rainy Fields as Jake
Angela Startz as Grandmother
Jim Ruel as Dad
Joey Clift as Frybread Cook

‘Minions & Monsters’ Official Trailer and Release Date: Your Favorite Yellow Creatures Become Hollywood Movie Stars

February 8, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: July 1, 2026.

Synopsis: This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created.

Directed by Pierre Coffin.

Written by Brian Lynch and Pierre Coffin.

Short Film Spotlight: Wednesdays with Gramps

February 8, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: When a teenage boy visits his Gramps at a seemingly mundane boring assisted living facility, he comes to find that they have much more in common than he thought.

Wednesdays with Gramps is a story about connection, communication, and commonality, without say a word.

Written and directed by Chris & Justin Copeland.

Produced by Shabrayia B. Cleaver

Score by Raashi Kulkarni.

Edited by Joseph Butler.

And many more talented people at DreamWorks Animation.

‘Gabby’s Dollhouse’ Season 13 Trailer, Release Date and Episode Details

February 7, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: March 2, 2026 on Netflix.

Synopsis: Discover the secret world of Fairylandia, a magical garden overflowing with sparkles, rainbow waterfalls and cat-tastic friends!

Join Gabby and the Gabby Cats for the Night of the Dandelion Lights, prepare for a Kitty Bear Tea Party and embark on a whimsical quest to save Kitty Fairy’s garden magic just in time for Fairy Appreciation Day.

Created by Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey.

Music Video Spotlight: spktra – Spirit Jumper

February 6, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Written, directed and edited by spktra.

Director’s note: This music video took 5 years to make. I wanted something that felt like it could have come from an authentic cel animation production and then been lost to time.

Painstaking detail went into researching the effects of film on animation, from grain, halation, bloom, and color shifts, to how traditional optical effects were achieved and how subtle movements in cel photography gave the image additional texture.

The goal wasn’t just to mimic a style, but to capture that feeling you have when you watch old animation.

Producers: Jessica Wen and Michael Fish.

Animation: Tamás Pazmany and Regina Nemes

Character Design: Glenn Wong, Louis Picard and Zac Plucinski

Character Color Stylist: Chris Hooten

Background Art: Alfie Marley

Creative Consultant: Eric Williger