SDCC 2023 has been a delight for fans of animated movies. SDCC, being one of the most prominent and highly anticipated conventions in the entertainment industry provided some interesting panels and news for brand new properties as well as continuations of old classics.
Fans witnessed first-hand the unveiling of highly anticipated projects from Sony Pictures Animation, Max, Disney, Warner and more, with sneak peeks into the creative processes behind their productions. Here’s a quick glance at what’s to come for animated movies and show lineups.
Star Trek 50th Anniversary
The 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series was celebrated at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. In order to commemorate this occasion there will be five all-new animated TV spots in the stylized after the 1973 animated series. The new shorts featuring characters like Riker, Quark, and Saru.
Young Love Series (Max)
Young Love is a Max original animated series based on the characters from Matthew A. Cherry and Sony Pictures Animation’s Oscar-winning animated short, “Hair Love”. The show follows an African American young family of millennial parents as they navigate their careers, marriage, parenthood, and social issues. An official clip was shown at San Diego Comic-Con 2023. The show is set to premiere in this fall.
Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake (Max)
Fionna and Cake is a spinoff of the animated show “Adventure Time” featuring alternate universe characters. The show follows the adventures of Fionna and Cake, a gender-swapped version of Finn and Jake. The show will consist of ten half-hour episodes and will be released on Max this fall. The showrunner and supervising director have discussed what fans can expect from the show. A teaser trailer for the show was released at SDCC 2023.
X-Men ’97
During the convention, Marvel Studios provided updates and exclusive footage for the upcoming show X-Men ’97. The Designing the X-Men panel at the event introduced producers and showcased new details about the show. Ryan Penagos, a representative from Marvel Studios, shared updates and information about “X-Men ’97”. Additionally, new Marvel Legends X-Men ’97 action figures were revealed.
Ghost of Ruin
“Ghosts of Ruin” is an upcoming animated series. The series follows a group of gamers who are transported into a post-apocalyptic world where they must fight to survive. The series features a star-studded cast, including Rosario Dawson, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Tony Revolori.
At SDCC, a character teaser was released for Dawson’s character, Prism, who is a no-nonsense gamer. The series is interactive, and the teaser trailer offers a first look at the new level of reality that viewers can expect. K-Pop star Alexa attended the SDCC to promote the series.
Invincible (Amazon Prime)
Amazon Studios unveiled the premiere date for the second season of Invincible. The season will begin with four episodes on November 3, 2023, with another four to follow in early 2024. In addition to the premiere date announcement, there were several exclusive activities, comics, merch, and events for Invincible fans to look forward to at SDCC 2023.
Prime Video also released a new trailer for the second season, which features a star-studded lineup of new characters. Robert Kirkman, the creator of Invincible, offered fans some reassuring words about the adaptation during the SDCC panel.
Rick and Morty: The Anime (Max)
Rick and Morty: The Anime is a 10-episode adventure series that is a spinoff of the Emmy-winning animated series “Rick and Morty.” The show is created and developed by Takashi Sano and produced by Studio Deen, Sola Entertainment, and Telecom Animation Film for Adult Swim. The series follows Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, voiced by Yōhei Tadano and Keisuke Chiba, respectively. The show is a Japanese-American anime science fiction sitcom that stands on its own as an original work. The first look at “Rick and Morty: The Anime” was debuted at San Diego Comic-Con. The show is set to debut on Adult Swim and HBO Max, but the release date has not been announced yet.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage
Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match is an upcoming animated film centered around the character Johnny Cage from the Mortal Kombat franchise. The movie is set in both Hollywood and the Netherrealm and takes place in the 1980s. Johnny Cage goes on a mission to find his missing costar and finds himself in a world filled with shadows, danger, and deceit. He also faces off against a sinister secret society and battles Netherrealm’s warriors.
The film features Joel McHale reprising his role as Johnny Cage. Other cast members include Jennifer Grey, Dusan Brown, and more. The release date for “Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match” is October 17, 2023.
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Warner Bros. Discovery and DC have announced an upcoming animated movie called Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths. The movie will adapt the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event from DC Comics.
Watchmen
DC Studios also announced an animated Watchmen movie during San Diego Comic-Con. The movie will be released in 2024.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
The fourth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks will premiere on September 7, 2023, on Paramount+. The season will debut with two episodes. Episode seven of this season of Strange New Worlds will be a crossover episode with Lower Decks. A promo poster has been released for the new season of Lower Decks.
The Dragon Prince Season 5
Season 5 of The Dragon Prince was announced to have an early release. Netflix surprised fans by releasing all nine episodes of Season 5 five days ahead of the previously announced premiere date of July 27th. The early release was met with excitement and anticipation from fans.
