2018’s animated movie slate includes another visit with the monsters of Hotel Transylvania, the much-anticipated sequels to The Incredibles and Wreck-It Ralph, and more adventures with garden gnomes. Plus, Benedict Cumberbatch will be voicing the Grinch and Wes Anderson (Fantastic Mr. Fox) is set to take movie audiences on a trip to an island populated by dogs.
Here’s a look at the animated movies expected to hit theaters in 2018, listed in alphabetical order:
Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad voiced by Jeremy Renner, James Franco, Alec Baldwin, Omar Sy, Heidi Klum, Anjelica Huston, and John Cleese
The Plot: Swifty the Arctic fox works in the mailroom of the Arctic Blast Delivery Service but dreams of one day becoming a Top Dog (the Arctic’s star husky couriers). To prove himself worthy of the Top Dog role, Swifty secretly commandeers one of the sleds and delivers a mysterious package to a mysterious location. He stumbles upon a secret fortress where he comes face to face with Doc Walrus, a blubbery evil genius who walks around on mechanical legs and commands a loyal army of oddly polite puffin henchmen.
Swifty soon discovers Doc Walrus’ plan to melt the polar ice caps and flood the world in order to reign as supreme leader. Now, Swifty has to enlist the help of his friends: PB, an introverted polar bear, Lemmy, a scatterbrained albatross, Sal and Weez, two conspiracy theorist otters and Jade Fox, a tough as nails mechanic. This ragtag group of Arctic misfits has to band together to stop Doc Walrus’ sinister plans and save the day.
Early Man voiced by Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall, Richard Ayoade, and Mark Williams
The Plot: Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of courageous caveman hero Dug (Redmayne) and his best friend Hognob as they unite his tribe against a mighty enemy Lord Nooth (Hiddleston) and his Bronze Age City to save their home.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation voiced by Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Andy Samberg, Mel Brooks, and Steve Buscemi
The Plot: In Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania 3, Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury monster cruise ship so he can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel, and the rest of Drac’s Pack cannot resist tagging along. The monsters are all having a great time, indulging in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to colossus sized buffets and exotic excursions, but then the unexpected happens as Drac falls for the intriguing-yet-dangerous captain of the ship. Balancing family, friends, and a budding romance might just be too much, even for the most powerful vampire.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch
The Plot: For their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and Universal Pictures present The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic. The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.
Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbors in Who-ville when he runs out of food.
Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter and louder celebrations. When the Whos declare they are going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch realizes there is only one way for him to gain some peace and quiet: he must steal Christmas. To do so, he decides he will pose as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, even going so far as to trap a lackadaisical misfit reindeer to pull his sleigh.
Meanwhile, down in Who-ville, Cindy-Lou Who—a young girl overflowing with holiday cheer—plots with her gang of friends to trap Santa Claus as he makes his Christmas Eve rounds so that she can thank him for help for her overworked single mother. As Christmas approaches, however, her good-natured scheme threatens to collide with the Grinch’s more nefarious one. Will Cindy-Lou achieve her goal of finally meeting Santa Claus? Will the Grinch succeed in silencing the Whos’ holiday cheer once and for all?
Incredibles 2 voiced by Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, and Samuel L. Jackson
The Plot: Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in Incredibles 2 – but this time Helen (Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (Nelson) at home with Violet (Vowell) and Dash (Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (Jackson) must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible.
Isle of Dogs voiced by F. Murray Abraham, Bob Balaban, Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, and Frank Wood
The Plot: Isle of Dogs tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
Peter Rabbit (live-action/CG) with James Corden, Domhnall Gleeson, Rose Byrne, Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, and Daisy Ridley
The Plot: Peter Rabbit, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers, now takes on the starring role of his own irreverent, contemporary comedy with attitude. In the film, Peter’s feud with Mr. McGregor (Gleeson) escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door (Byrne). James Corden voices the character of Peter with playful spirit and wild charm.
Paddington 2 (live-action/CG) with Ben Whishaw, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and Hugh Grant
The Plot: Following the worldwide hit Paddington, one of the most successful family films of all time, this much-anticipated sequel finds Paddington (Whishaw) happily settled with the Brown family in London, where he has become a popular member of the local community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes. While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy’s hundredth birthday, Paddington sees a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber’s antique shop, and embarks upon a series of odd jobs to buy it. But when the book is stolen, it’s up to Paddington and the Browns to unmask the thief.
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 voiced by Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer, John C. Reilly, and Sarah Silverman
The Plot: The sequel takes place six years after the events of Wreck-It Ralph[3], the Sugar Rush arcade cabinet has broken, forcing Ralph and Vanellope to travel to the Internet via the newly-installed Wi-Fi router in Litwak’s Arcade to retrieve the piece capable of saving the game. Along the way, they encounter new customs, worlds, and characters, such as the trendy algorithm, Yesss and even the Disney Princesses and the Star Wars characters.
Sherlock Gnomes voiced by James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Stephen Merchant, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Depp, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mary J. Blige
The Plot: The beloved garden gnomes from Gnomeo and Juliet are back for a whole new adventure in London. When Gnomeo and Juliet first arrive in the city with their friends and family, their biggest concern is getting their new garden ready for spring. However, they soon discover that someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all over London.
When Gnomeo and Juliet return home to find that everyone in their garden is missing – there’s only one gnome to call… Sherlock Gnomes. The famous detective and sworn protector of London’s garden gnomes arrives with his sidekick Watson to investigate the case. The mystery will lead our gnomes on a rollicking adventure where they will meet all new ornaments and explore an undiscovered side of the city.
Smallfoot voiced by Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common, LeBron James, Gina Rodriguez, Danny DeVito, and Yara Shahidi
The Plot: An animated adventure for all ages, with original music and an all-star cast, Smallfoot turns the Bigfoot legend upside down when a bright young Yeti finds something he thought didn’t exist—a human. News of this “Smallfoot” throws the simple Yeti community into an uproar over what else might be out there in the big world beyond their snowy village, in an all new story about friendship, courage and the joy of discovery.
