Honestly, the schedule for kids movies coming out soon looks like someone took a giant blender, threw in every Millennial’s childhood nostalgia, and hit the "high" setting.
We’re getting a fifth Toy Story. Another Minions. A live-action Moana. It’s a lot. If you feel like you’ve seen these posters before, it’s because you basically have. But 2026 is also sneaking in some genuinely weird, original stuff that might actually be better than the sequels.
The box office is already heating up. Between Pixar’s experimental "brain-swapping" stories and Illumination’s relentless grip on the Mario universe, your wallet is going to be very busy at the concession stand this year.
The Big Heavy Hitters: Pixar and Disney's 2026 Slate
Pixar is in a strange spot. They’re alternating between "we need a billion dollars" sequels and "we have a crazy idea" originals.
Toy Story 5 (June 19, 2026)
This is the one everyone is talking about. After Toy Story 4 felt like a perfect goodbye, Disney decided Woody and Buzz weren't done. The twist this time? The toys are fighting for attention against technology. Think iPads, smartphones, and game consoles. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are back, which is the only reason most parents are even entertaining the idea of a fifth movie. It's a gamble. Will it feel like a cash grab, or can Pixar make us cry over a plastic cowboy one more time?
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Hoppers (March 6, 2026)
Now, this is the Pixar I personally prefer. It’s an original story about a girl named Mabel who uses new tech to "hop" her consciousness into a robotic beaver. Yes, a beaver. It sounds bizarre, but it’s the kind of high-concept sci-fi Pixar used to do with Wall-E. It’s directed by Daniel Chong (the creator of We Bare Bears), so expect it to be much funnier and more grounded than the premise suggests.
Moana Live-Action (July 10, 2026)
Disney is moving fast with this one. Usually, they wait twenty years for a remake, but the animated Moana is barely a decade old. Catherine Laga’aia is taking over the title role, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is returning as Maui in the flesh. It’s going to be a massive summer blockbuster, but it’ll have to work hard to prove it’s more than just a shot-for-shot recreation.
The "I Need a Nap" Crowd: Illumination and DreamWorks
If your kids have endless energy, these are the movies designed to match it. These studios don't do subtle. They do bright colors, slapstick, and songs that will stay stuck in your head for three weeks.
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (April 3, 2026): After the massive success of the first one, Chris Pratt and Charlie Day are heading to space. It’s basically going to be a giant advertisement for the Nintendo Switch 2, but let's be real—the kids are going to lose their minds.
- Minions 3 (July 1, 2026): Just when you thought the yellow capsules were done, they’re back for a third solo outing. Not much is known about the plot, but expect Gru to show up and a lot of things to explode for no reason.
- Forgotten Island (September 25, 2026): This is DreamWorks' big original swing. It’s a comedy-adventure based on Philippine mythology. It’s great to see some different cultural stories finally getting the big-budget animation treatment.
Don't Sleep on These: The Underdogs of 2026
While the big studios suck up all the oxygen, there are a few smaller or "medium" movies that look surprisingly good.
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The Cat in the Hat (November 6, 2026)
Warner Bros. is trying to do for Dr. Seuss what The LEGO Movie did for plastic bricks. Bill Hader is voicing the Cat. If you’ve seen Hader’s range, you know he can go from "charming" to "unhinged" in about two seconds, which is perfect for this character. It’s an animated feature, not live-action (thank goodness), and the art style is supposed to mimic Seuss’s original drawings more closely.
GOAT (February 13, 2026)
No, not the "Greatest of All Time," though that’s the pun. It’s an animated sports comedy about a goat who gets a shot at playing pro "roarball." It’s coming from Sony Pictures Animation, the people who gave us Spider-Verse, so it’s likely going to have a very distinct, cool visual style.
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie (August 14, 2026)
If you have a toddler, you already know. You have no choice. This is the third theatrical film, and they’ve added dinosaurs. It’s a cynical move because every kid loves dinosaurs, but hey, it works.
Why the 2026 Schedule Feels Different
Usually, years are dominated by one studio. In 2026, the competition is brutal. You have Zootopia 2 (technically late 2025, but it’ll still be in theaters in Jan 2026) competing for the same eyes as The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.
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There’s a clear trend toward "safe" bets. Studios are scared of the box office right now, so they’re leaning on sequels. However, the success of movies like The Wild Robot has shown that audiences are actually hungry for something new. That’s why Hoppers and Forgotten Island are the ones to watch—they are the "canaries in the coal mine" for original animation.
What Parents Should Actually Do
Planning a movie trip for a family isn't just about the ticket price anymore. It’s the $15 popcorn and the $7 sodas.
- Check the "Original" Ratings: Movies like Hoppers or Wildwood (from Laika, coming in May) often have more emotional depth for adults than a third Minions movie.
- Wait for the B-Tier: Movies like The Pout-Pout Fish (March 20) are likely to hit streaming services like Peacock or Disney+ much faster than the big blockbusters. Save your cinema money for the "big screen" spectacles like Mario or Moana.
- The Nostalgia Trap: Don't assume your kid will love Toy Story 5 just because you loved the first one. The "tech vs. toys" plot might resonate more with parents feeling guilty about screen time than with the kids actually using the screens.
The best way to handle the kids movies coming out soon is to pick one "event" movie per season. Spring has Mario, Summer has Toy Story, and Fall has The Cat in the Hat. Everything else? That’s what your streaming subscription is for. Keep an eye on the trailers dropping in the next few months; that's when we'll see if Toy Story 5 actually has a soul or if it's just a 90-minute toy commercial.
Look for the early screenings. Often, theaters do "family days" on Saturday mornings for new releases where tickets are slightly cheaper and the environment is a bit more "judgment-free" if your toddler decides to start narrating the movie out loud. If you're planning for the holiday season, the untitled Disney film (often called Hexed in production circles) is currently slated for late November, which usually means it'll be the dominant force for the end of the year.
The movie landscape is changing, but for 2026, the strategy is simple: balance the big sequels your kids demand with the original stories that might actually stick with them. Enjoy the popcorn. You’re going to be eating a lot of it.