Global streaming titan Netflix is penciling in another packed year of animated features which open up new worlds of story, innovation and artistry.
With titles helmed by visionary directors all over the world, the 2022 crop looks to be a fruitful one indeed. The slate includes (in alphabetical order):
Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood
Studio Partners: Detour FilmProductions, Submarine
Director/writer/producer: Richard Linklater
Producers: Mike Blizzard, Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting, Bruno Felix
Executive Producer: John Sloss
Cast: Milo Coy, Lee Eddy, Bill Wise, Natalie L’Amoreaux, Josh Wiggins, Sam Chipman, Jessica Brynn Cohen, Danielle Guilbot with Zachary Levi and Glenn Powell and Jack Black
Synopsis: Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood tells the story of the first moon landing in the summer of 1969 from two interwoven perspectives – the astronaut and mission control view of the triumphant moment, and through the eyes of a kid growing up in Houston, Texas who has intergalactic dreams of his own. Taking inspiration from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Richard Linklater’s own life, Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood is a snapshot of American life in the 1960s that is part coming of age, part societal commentary, and part out-of-this-world adventure.
Bubble
On Netflix April 28 | Anime | Japan
Studio Partner: WIT Studio
Director: Tetsuro Araki
Writer: Gen Urobuchi
Character Designs: Takeshi Obata
Cast (Japanese): Jun Shison, Mamoru Miyano, Yuki Kaji and Tasuku Hatanaka
Synopsis: The story is set in Tokyo, after bubbles that broke the laws of gravity rained down upon the world. Cut off from the outside world, Tokyo has become a playground for a group of young people who have lost their families, acting as a battlefield for parkour team battles as they leap from building to building. Hibiki, a young ace known for his dangerous play style, makes a reckless move one day and plummets into the gravity-bending sea. His life is saved by Uta, a girl with mysterious powers who appears suddenly. The pair then hear a unique sound audible only to them. Why did Uta appear before Hibiki? Their encounter leads to a revelation that will change the world.
Drifting Home
Anime | Japan
Studio Partner: Studio Colorido
Director: Hiroyasu Ishida
Writers: Hayashi Mori, Hiroyasu Ishida & Minaka Sakamoto
Character Designer: Akihiro Nagae
Producer: Koji Yamamoto
Synopsis: Kosuke and Natsume have been friends since childhood, but as time goes on the relationship between the two sixth graders seems strained as they keep avoiding one another. One day during their summer vacation, they go to a housing complex that is scheduled to be demolished. Having grown up there, the place holds a lot of memories. While playing, they suddenly get caught up in a mysterious phenomenon and when they regain consciousness, they see an entire ocean before them as the housing complex has drifted into a mysterious sea along with Kosuke and Natsume with it. Will they be able to return to their previous world? A summer farewell journey begins.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
Coming This December
Studio Partner: ShadowMachine
Directors: Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson
Writers: del Toro and Patrick McHale
Producers: del Toro, Lisa Henson, Alex Bulkley, Corey Campodonico and Gary Ungar
Executive Producer: Jason Lust
Cast: Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman
Synopsis: Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of the wooden marionette who is magically brought to life in order to mend the heart of a grieving wood carver named Geppetto. This whimsical, stop-motion musical directed by del Toro and Mark Gustafson follows the mischievous and disobedient adventures of Pinocchio in his pursuit of a place in the world.
My Father’s Dragon
Studio Partner: Cartoon Saloon (Ireland)
Director: Nora Twomey
Writer: Meg LeFauve
Producers: Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn, Paul Young
Executive Producers: Meg LeFauve, John Morgan, Tomm Moore, Gerry Shirren, Ruth Coady, Alan Moloney
Synopsis: From five-time Academy Award-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers) and Academy Award-nominated director Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner) comes an exquisite film inspired by the Newbery-honored children’s book from author Ruth Stiles Gannett. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime.
The Sea Beast
Director/writer/producer: Chris Williams
Writers: Nell Benjamin
Producer: Jed Schlanger
Synopsis: In an era when terrifying beasts roamed the seas, monster hunters were celebrated heroes — and none were more beloved than the great Jacob Holland. But when young Maisie Brumble stows away on his fabled ship, he’s saddled with an unexpected ally. Together they embark on an epic journey into uncharted waters and make history. From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Chris Williams (Moana, Big Hero Six, Bolt), The Sea Beast takes us to where the map ends, and the true adventure begins.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1
Anime | Japan
Studio Partners: Alfred Imageworks (S. Korea), Marvy Jack (Japan)
Director: Bob Shirahata
Writer: Rintaro Ikeda
Synopsis: With over 37 million copies sold and winning in the children’s category of the 39th Kodansha Manga Award, the mega-hit The Seven Deadly Sins by Nakaba Suzuki is receiving a spin-off anime film, with an original story by the creator. Split into two parts, the story will follow Tristan, the son of The Seven Deadly Sins protagonists Meliodas and Elizabeth. Tristan inherits the power of the Goddess Clan and can heal people’s wounds and injuries, but he often ends up hurting others due to his inability to control his Demon Clan power. To protect his family, Tristan heads to Edinburgh Castle and meets a host of new friends along the way.
Wendell and Wild
Studio Partners: Monkeypaw Prod., Gotham Group, Principato-Young Ent.
Director: Henry Selick
Writers: Selick, Jordan Peele
Producers: Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Win Rosenfeld, Peele, Henry Selick
Executive Producers: Lindsay Williams, Eddie Gamarra, Kamil Oshundara, Ian Cooper
Synopsis: From the delightfully wicked minds of Henry Selick and Jordan Peele, comes Wendell and Wild, an animated tale about scheming demon brothers Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele), who enlist the aid of 13-year-old Kat Elliot — a tough teen with a load of guilt — to summon them to the Land of the Living. But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.
