Animated Features of 2018
As another year comes to a close it’s time to look forward to what the next has in store for us. Animated features, wether they be in multiplex cinemas, festivals or on limited release, at the very least they keep the kids entertained with fart jokes and dance numbers whilst others let us enter a colourful world of beguiling fun and intrigue setting themselves apart as real works of art. You’ll find a mixture of both in this list.
Some features mentioned last year such as Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires and Coco find their UK billing shifted from 2017 to 2018 making this year a bumper year for heading to the theatre for cinematic delights. Let’s take a look at some of the features of 2018 to look forward to.
Early Man
UK Release: 26 January 2018
Dir. Nick Park
A plucky cave man named Dug and his sidekick Hognob must unite their tribe against a mighty enemy — the Bronze Age.
Nick Park returns to features after 12 years to bring us Early Man. What little we’ve seen of the film thanks, genuinely, to Studio Canals marketing team avoiding the usual spoiler-filled clips and adverts tactics of other animated features, we’re very tantalised by what the film has to offer. With a January release date we’ll be counting down the seconds to the future so we can see more of the past.
Monster Family
UK Release: 2 March 2018
Dir. Holger Tappe
The Wishbone family is far from happy. With a struggling bookshop, an overworked husband, and two misunderstood teenagers, Emma is at her wit’s end trying to be the perfect mom. After dragging her family to a costume party on Halloween night, they are cursed by an evil witch and transformed into a Vampire, a Mummy, a Werewolf, and Frankenstein’s monster. Now Emma will fight to keep her Monster Family together and uncover the secret of their curse… eventually leading them to the Prince of Darkness himself, Dracula!
Featuring Dracula, Frankenstein, Werewolves and the Mummy this film sees a normal, but quarrelsome family transformed into a mix of movie monsters by a witch. Dubbed from the original German so don’t watch the poorly script-matched lips too much as it’ll terrify you.
Have a Nice Day
UK Release: 23 March 2018
Dir. Liu Jian
A city in southern China and a bag containing stolen money draws several people from diverse backgrounds into a bloody conflict.
“The film the Chinese government banned from Annecy!” Yes, the very same film makes its way to UK cinemas in March 2018. Described as an animated Quentin Tarantino film, the thriller will probably see a limited UK release so keep a close eye on your local independent cinema if you wish to see it.
Isle of Dogs
UK Release: 30 March 2018
Dir. Wes Anderson
In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island that’s a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.
Director Wes Anderson returns to stop motion and to the UK to direct Isle of Dogs, Made at 3 Mill Studios, only 10 minutes away from Londons Isle of Dogs. The film is set in a future Japan where canines find themselves banished. Stop motion animation gives Anderson perfect control over his instantly recognisable directorial style, and from the trailers we’ve seen we’re in for a treat.
Sherlock Gnomes
UK Release: 11 May 2018
Dir. John Stevenson
After a string of garden gnome disappearances in London, Gnomeo & Juliet look to legendary detective Sherlock Gnomes to solve the case of their missing friends and family.
After loosely taking the work of Shakespeare from the stage to the flowerbed, titular heroes (spared a tragic ending in the previous film) Gnomeo and Julliet turn their attention to draw inspiration from Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series. Featuring the full quota of this years animated fart gags in the trailer alongside Johnny Depp as Sherlock Gnomes this film is sure to keep the kids happy as the previous ones did and fans of Elton John (his company Rocket Pictures produced the film) are bound to be entertained by listening to one of his songs in every spare minute of the film.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower
UK Release: 18 May 2018
Dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi
One day, while spending the summer with her great aunt, Mary follows an odd cat into the nearby woods. There she stumbles upon flowers which hold a strange, luminescent power that brings a broomstick to life — which then, in a heartbeat, whisks her above the clouds and off to a strange and secret place. It is here she finds Endor College – a school of magic!
Studio Ghibli alumni bring to life The Little Broomstick, an original tale by Mary Stewart. With the dubbed version featuring an all star British cast of Jim Broadbent and Kate Winslet, the mixture of Ghibli standard animation and witchcraft, wizardry and broomsticks storytelling is sure to sweep people off their feet in 2018.
The Breadwinner
UK Release: 25 May
Dir. Nora Twomey
Parvana is an 11-year-old girl who lives under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2001. After the wrongful arrest of her father, Parvana cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy to support her family. Working alongside a friend, she soon discovers a new world of freedom and danger. Drawing strength from the fantastical stories she invents, Parvana embarks on an epic quest to find her father and reunite her family.
If we’re talking about films, there are a few fantastic ones on this list. If we’re talking about a work of art then look no further. The Breadwinner has already dazzled at festival previews and on its limited release around the world but in May 2018 the Cartoon Saloon feature finds its way into UK cinemas. This one is not to be missed.
Incredibles 2
UK Release: 13 July 2018
Dir. Brad Bird
Elastigirl springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible faces his greatest challenge yet — taking care of the problems of his three children.
Arguably the Pixar sequel we’ve all been waiting for. Precious little has been revealed about the upcoming follow up to The Incredibles (released in 2004) apart from the teaser trailer above and some casting details. In a clip released at D23 it was revealed that another power of baby Jack-Jacks is that he can multiply, rather apt given the double barrelled name. Director Brad Bird is set to return as Edna Mode in the film which is set to focus more on Elastigirl, leaving Mr Incredible at home to look after the kids.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
UK Release: 27 July 2018
Dir. Genndy Tartakovsky
Join our favorite monster family as they embark on a vacation on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel. It’s smooth sailing for Drac’s Pack as the monsters indulge in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to exotic excursions, and catching up on their moon tans. But the dream vacation turns into a nightmare when Mavis realizes Drac has fallen for the mysterious captain of the ship, Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret that could destroy all of monsterkind.
Featuring Dracula, Frankenstein, Werewolves and the Mummy this film… Hang on, haven’t I written this already? The second monster movie on the list and the third of the Adam Sander Hotel Transylvania trilogy just to be clear. In spite of similarities to the previously mentioned Monster Family, Hotel Transylvania 3 seems to feature the unmistakable Genndy Tartakovsky animated charm which has sustained two films already livening up Adam Sander’s comedic offerings.
Smallfoot
UK Release: 5 October 2018
Dir. Karey Kirkpatrick
A Yeti named Migo is convinced that the elusive creatures known as “Smallfoots” (known as Humans) really do exist.
Directed by Karen Kirkpatrick (Over the Hedge) this tale turns the yeti myth on it’s head. The story is written by animator/director Sergio Pablos the man behind the eagerly anticipated Klaus which has recently received funding from Netflix, sure to be on our Animated Features of 2019 list.
Wreck-it Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet
UK Release: 30 November 2018
Dirs. Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
Ralph and Vanellope embark on an adventure inside the internet to find a spare part to fix an arcade game.
Marking only the 4th cinematically released sequel in Walt Disney Animation Studio’s 80 year history the follow up to the hugely popular 2012 film sees the cast take on the internet. The internet itself is a celebrity filled Disneyland of sorts giving Ralph and Vanellope the chance to meet the self deprecating Disney Princesses and characters from Marvel and Star Wars other Disney owned brands. Given the studios latest purchase the cameo cast list could get even bigger!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (The Grinch)
UK Release: 9 November 2018
Dirs. Peter Candeland, Yarrow Cheney
The Grinch hatches a scheme to ruin Christmas when the residents of Whoville plan their annual holiday celebration.
The animated Grinch remake sees Boris Karloff replaced with Benedict Cumberbatch. The question as to whether the audiences hearts will grow three sizes when they see the results of the Dr. Seuss classic in feature form and whether an animated character can out animate Jim Carrey will be answered in November 2018.
Thats what we’ve got to look forward to in 2018. Which film are you most looking forward to? Sound off in the comments below or let us know on Facebook and Twitter.