The Animation Blog

‘Dandelion’ Trailer, Release Date and Synopsis: Anime Based on Hideaki Sorachi’s Manga Comes to Netflix

April 12, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: April 16, 2026 on Netflix

Synopsis: Set within the Send-Off Department of the Japanese Angel Federation, Dandelion follows “Angels” Tetsuo Tanba and Misaki Kurogane as they scramble to track down Earthbound spirits — souls unable to move on and find peace — and gently guide them to pass on.

Tetsuo is a foul-mouthed man with a constant scowl who may seem apathetic at first glance, but shows deep compassion as he listens and offers support to spirits.

Misaki is the leader of the 21st Division’s Dandelion Clan. Despite her youthful, girl-like appearance, Misaki is a formidable force, rumored to have laid to rest the legendary soul of Musashi Miyamoto.

The angels find themselves struggling to meet their daily tasks. However, Tetsuo and Misaki choose to take things at their own pace: instead of rushing through cases, they take time with each spirit, listening to their regrets and helping them resolve what’s holding them back.

Based on the manga by Hideaki Sorachi.

Short Film Spotlight: The Miracle

April 11, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: The Miracle; a place where the sun always shines, with endless opportunities to relax and food in abundance.

It’s late already when Irma checks in at the resort. As she explores the area the next morning, she quickly comes to realize that everything there is designed to facilitate families.

Irma fully immerses herself in the world of the all-inclusive resort. But how do you relate to a place that constantly confronts you with the things you don’t have?

Written and directed by Nienke Deutz.

Cinematography by Steven Frederickx.

Edited by Nienke Deutz.

Music by Mark Schilders.

Sound by Céline Bernard, Corinne Dubien and Aline Gavroy.

Director’s statement: “The Miracle is a portrait of a single woman in a world that is designed for couples and families with kids. I wanted to portray the confusing feelings and loneliness that can come from being in a place where you feel you don’t fit in.”

Short Film Spotlight: The Smortlybacks Come Back!

April 10, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: In a barren world TamLin of the Little People travels with his herd of splendid smortlybacks in search of greener pastures. They struggle with fear and find themselves stranded at the ocean shore.

With unlikely help from TamSin, a wonderful mermaid, and her disrespectful smortlysharks they cross the ocean and find a happy end.

The Smortlybacks Come Back! is a sequel to The Smortlybacks.

Written and directed by Ted Sieger.

Music by Christoph Utzinger.

Sound design by Thomas Gassmann and Aline Schoch.

Sound mix by Denis Séchaud

Short Film Spotlight: The Smortlybacks

April 10, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: On a tabletop mountain a mahout and his strange herd make a surprising and never-ending journey.

Directed by Ted Sieger and Wouter Dierickx.

Written by Alexandra Prosen and Wouter Dierickx.

Music by Christoph Utzinger.

Brad Bird’s ‘Ray Gunn’: Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson Star in New Film from ‘Ratatouille’ Director

April 9, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: 2026 on Netflix

Synopsis: In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.

Directed by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and Incredibles 2).

Written by Brad Bird and Matthew Robbins (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio).

Voice cast:
Sam Rockwell as Raymond Gunn
Scarlett Johansson as Venus Nova
Tom Waits as Eyera

‘The One Piece’ Anime Sneak Peek: World’s Most Popular Manga Reimagined by WIT Studio and Netflix

April 8, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: TBD (Likely in 2027)

Currently in production at WIT Studio in collaboration with Shueisha, Toei Animation and Fuji Television Network, The One Piece reimagines the East Blue saga, providing a fresh yet familiar take on Eiichiro Oda’s manga.

Directed by Masashi Koizuka.

Written by Taku Kishimoto.

Character designs by Kyoji Asano and Takatoshi Honda.

‘LEGO One Piece’ Trailer, Release Date and Synopsis: Two-Part Special Comes to Netflix on September 29

April 7, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: September 29, 2026 on Netflix

Synopsis: The two-part Netflix special, produced in partnership with the LEGO Group, Shueisha and Atomic, retells the events of the first two seasons of the live action One Piece series.

Netflix Playground Launches on iOS and Android with Games from ‘Sesame Street,’ ‘Peppa Pig’ and ‘StoryBots’

April 7, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Designed for children ages 8 and under, Netflix Playground is included with all memberships and does not allow ads or in-app purchases.

Simply download the app to a smartphone or tablet and sign in to your Netflix account to access the library of games featuring Dr. Seuss’s Horton!, Peppa Pig, Bad Dinosaurs, Sesame Street and StoryBots. Every game is instantly playable and available offline.

Games from Gabby’s Dollhouse, KPop Demon Hunters, PJ Masks, My Little Pony, and PAW Patrol will launch throughout 2026.

Apple App Store | Google Play Store

Short Film Spotlight: Johanne

April 6, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: In 1944, at the height of the Occupation, a member of the Resistance is given the task of escorting a man through France, which is under great strain. But as the journey unfolds, a silent expectation already seems to be taking shape.

Directed by:
Reda Benslimane
Juliette Gallet
Mattéo Llorens
Astrid Mailhé
Lauren Parmentier
Emma Tintet-Salettis
Evaline Vaïti

Original Score by Mathias Marguier.

Sound by Guilhem Favard, Sébastien Fournier, José Vicente and Yoann Poncet.

Voiced by Ariane Aggiage, Boris Rehlinger and Ollie Siol.

Short Film Spotlight: Amen

April 5, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Synopsis: A group of pigs are raised peacefully in a monastery when, one day, one of them finds out the truth behind their existence. Thus he decides to free his friends.

Directed by:
Orphée Coutier
Bettina Demarty
Kimie Maingonnat
Laurène Perego
Louise Poulain
Avril Zundel

Original Score by Nicolas Cornil.

Sound Mix by Pierre-François Renouf.

‘Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie’ Teaser Trailer, Release Date, Synopsis, Cast and Poster

April 4, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: August 14, 2026

Synopsis: After their ship gets caught in a mysterious storm, the PAW Patrol pups crash land on an uncharted tropical island filled with dinosaurs. They meet Rex, a pup who has been stranded on the island for years and has become an expert in all things dino-related.

When the PAW Patrol’s archrival, Humdinger, begins recklessly mining in hopes of exploiting the island for its natural resources, he inadvertently causes a huge, dormant volcano to erupt.

The PAW Patrol pups are thrown into a series of high-stakes, dino-sized rescues bigger than anything they’ve done before, as they must stop Humdinger before everything on the island goes extinct.

Directed by Cal Brunker.

Written by Cal Brunker & Bob Barlen.

‘Swapped’ Official Trailer: Academy Award winner Michael B. Jordan and BAFTA winner Juno Temple Star in Body Swap Comedy

April 3, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: May 1, 2026 on Netflix

Synopsis: A buddy comedy about a small woodland creature and a majestic bird — natural sworn enemies of The Valley — who suddenly swap bodies and must team up to survive the wildest adventure of their lives.

Directed by Nathan Greno (Tangled).

Written by John Whittington, Adam Karp, Nathan Greno, Christian Magalhaes and Robert Snow.

Music by Siddhartha Khosla.

‘Kevin’ Trailer: Addison Rae, Quinta Brunson and More Will Guest Star in Prime Video Adult Animated Series

April 2, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: April 20, 2026

Synopsis: Kevin is loosely inspired by a real life break-up and the cat who was caught in the middle. After the unexpected break-up of his human owners, Kevin moves into a local pet rescue in Astoria, Queens where a group of misfit animals will help him figure out what he really wants out of life.

Created by Aubrey Plaza and Joe Wengert.

‘Forgotten Island’ Trailer and Release Date Revealed: H.E.R. and Liza Soberano Star in Film Inspired by Philippine Mythology

April 1, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Release date: September 25, 2026

Synopsis: High school graduates Jo and Raissa, who have been best friends since grade school, are about to embark on separate life paths.

While celebrating their last night together, Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing stories about from their Filipino families.

Some of these figures will become friends, some foes. Joined by well-meaning-but- hapless weredog Raww and a small-but-mighty pack of pals, Jo and Raissa must face The Dreaded Manananggal, the most feared creature on the island.

When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.

Written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado.

‘Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete Third Season’ Blu-ray Cover Art and Release Date Revealed

March 31, 2026 / The Animation Blog / 0 Comments

Blu-ray and DVD release date: June 30, 2026

Synopsis: The third season of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal opens with a shocking twist that resurrects Spear in a new form — stripped of memory and humanity — and forces him to roam a brutal, untamed world as a shadow of his former self.

As Spear battles savage landscapes and deadly foes, faint echoes of his past begin to stir, leading him toward an emotional and explosive reunion that will test the limits of survival.

Created by Genndy Tartakovsky.

Art direction by Scott Wills.

Music by Tyler Bates and Joanne Higginbottom.

Sound effects design by Joel Valentine.