Image Credentials: Image Title: 2024 in Animation Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: June 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
Introduction
The year 2024 has proven to be a remarkable and transformative period in the world of animation, marked by significant milestones, major premieres, and industry shifts. From beloved characters like Mickey Mouse entering the public domain to the debut of highly anticipated series and films across streaming platforms and theaters, animation continued to expand its cultural impact and global reach. Studios such as Disney, Pixar, Netflix, and DreamWorks led a wave of creative innovation, while anime and independent productions also made strong showings. This year also saw notable anniversaries, technological experiments, and strategic restructurings within major animation companies. The following is a month-by-month overview of the key events, releases, and industry developments that shaped animation in 2024.
Index: Awards | Films released | Television series | Deaths | References
Events
January
- January 1:
- The first Mickey Mouse short film, Steamboat Willie, entered the public domain in the United States.
- Among the twenty-one titles, Abby Hatcher, Butterbean’s Café, Nella the Princess Knight, Sunny Day, and T.U.F.F. Puppy were removed from Paramount+.
- January 4: The series premiere of Studio Trigger’s anime adaptation of Delicious in Dungeon was released on Netflix.
- January 7: Grimsburg premiered on Fox in the United States.
- January 11: The third and final season of Sonic Prime premiered on Netflix.
- January 12: Disney and Pixar’s Soul was released in theaters, after being a stream-exclusive on Disney+ on December 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- January 13: The Ghost and Molly McGee concluded on Disney Channel, with the episodes “Jinx vs. the Human World” and “The End”.
- January 15: Mari Okada’s original anime film Maboroshi, by Studio Mappa, premiered on Netflix internationally four months after having a theatrical premiere in Japan in September 2023.
- January 16: The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj premiered on Nicktoons in the United States.
- January 18: The first four episodes of Vivienne Medrano’s independent adult animated series Hazbin Hotel premiered on Amazon Prime Video.
- January 21: Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation, a 25-minute prequel/one-off special of One Piece, premiered on Netflix.
- January 25:
- Masters of the Universe: Revolution premiered on Netflix.
- Episodes 5 and 6 of Hazbin Hotel were released on Amazon Prime Video.
- January 31: Anime series Four Knights of the Apocalypse premiered on Netflix.
February
- February 1:
- The last two Season 1 episodes (7 and 8) of Hazbin Hotel were released on Amazon Prime Video.
- Season 3 of Clone High premiered on Max.
- February 2:
- DreamWorks Animation’s Orion and the Dark film was released as a Netflix-exclusive.
- Paramount Animation’s The Tiger’s Apprentice premiered on Paramount+.
- The second season of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur premiered on Disney Channel.
- The first of six half-hour Care Bears: Unlock the Magic specials, “The Quest for the Rainbow Stone”, premiered on Max, which was followed by its US broadcast on Boomerang in the United States the next day on February 3.
- February 5: Lyla in the Loop premiered on PBS Kids.
- February 7: Disney’s Bob Iger announced in a CNBC interview before the studio’s Q1 earnings that the studio was turning a Moana TV series into a feature sequel for theatrical release in November.
- February 9: Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red was released in theaters, after being a stream-exclusive on Disney+ on March 11, 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- February 12:
- SpongeBob SquarePants celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special episode titled “Squidiot Box” that premiered on Nickelodeon.
- Rock Paper Scissors premiered on Nickelodeon.
- February 17: The 51st Annie Awards took place.
- February 21: The final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiered on Disney+.
- February 23: The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy premiered on Amazon Prime Video.
- February 28: Streaming television series Iwájú, which is a collaboration between Walt Disney Animation Studios and Kugali Media, premiered on Disney+.
March
- March 1:
- Doraemon: Nobita’s Earth Symphony, the 43rd film in the Doraemon franchise, was released in Japanese cinemas by Toho. It serves as a special project to honor deceased manga artists Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Abiko of Fujiko Fujio.
- Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate premiered on Peacock.
- March 4: Mattel Television’s Hot Wheels Let’s Race premiered on Netflix.
- March 7: The first batch of English-dubbed episodes of Pokémon Horizons: The Series premiered on Netflix in the United States, almost eleven months after its Japanese television release on April 14, 2023.
- March 8:
- DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 was released.
- The second of six half-hour Care Bears: Unlock the Magic specials, “Grumpy’s Ginormous Adventure”, premiered on Max, which was followed by its US broadcast on Boomerang in the United States the next day on March 9.
- Season 2 of Tiny Toons Looniversity premiered on Max.
- March 10: 96th Academy Awards:
- Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, wins Best Animated Feature, making it the first 2-D animated film to win since Miyazaki’s own Spirited Away in 2003.
- War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko, directed by Dave Mullins, wins Best Animated Short Film.
- March 15: The season 17 finale episode of Upin & Ipin premiered on TV2, Astro Ceria, Astro Prima, and MNCTV.
- March 20: X-Men ’97 premiered on Disney+.
- March 22:
- The Casagrandes Movie premiered on Netflix.
- Disney and Pixar’s Luca was released in theaters, after being a stream-exclusive on Disney+ on June 18, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- March 25: The ninth season of Gabby’s Dollhouse premiered on Netflix.
- March 28: Among ten titles, Big Nate and Rugrats (2021) were removed from Paramount+.
- March 29: The seventh episode of Murder Drones, titled “Mass Destruction”, was released on YouTube.
April
- April 1: The second season of Smiling Friends premiered on Adult Swim.
- April 4: The second season of Ninjago: Dragons Rising premiered on Netflix.
- April 5:
- The second season of SuperKitties premiered on Disney Channel in the United States.
- The second season of Monsters at Work premiered on Disney Channel in the United States, followed by its Disney+ premiere a month later on May 5.
- April 12:
- The live-action/animated Woody Woodpecker sequel film Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp premiered on Netflix.
- Dora, a reboot series of Dora the Explorer, premiered on Paramount+.
- April 17:
- Wit Studio’s dark fantasy anthology anime series The Grimm Variations premiered as a Netflix exclusive.
- The eighteenth season of Upin & Ipin, titled “Ramadan Diberkati”, premiered on Astro Prima and MNCTV on This Season Finale Before replaced on RCTI.
- April 21: The third season finale of Bluey titled, “Surprise!”, premiered on both ABC Kids and Disney+.
- April 25: Season 2 of Velma premiered on Max.
- April 26:
- The live-action/animated Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off television series, Knuckles, premiered on Paramount+.
- The first Helluva Boss short, titled “Hell’s Belles”, was released on YouTube.
- DreamWorks announced a feature-length adaptation of the Netflix series Gabby’s Dollhouse to be released in 2025 as their first live-action hybrid.
May
- May 1: The series finale episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiered on Disney+.
- May 2: Studio Bones’ anime series adaptation of Fujiko Fujio’s T・P Bon premiered on Netflix.
- May 3: The second episode of The Amazing Digital Circus, titled “Candy Carrier Chaos!”, was released on YouTube.
- May 4: The second season of Star Wars: Tales premiered on Disney+.
- May 9: Season 2 of Powerhouse Animation’s Blood of Zeus premiered on Netflix.
- May 10: The second batch of English-dubbed episodes of Pokémon Horizons: The Series premiered on Netflix in the United States.
- May 15: The season finale of X-Men ’97 premiered on Disney+.
- May 17: Jared Hess and Lynn Wang’s musical film adaptation of Aaron Blabey’s kids book series Thelma the Unicorn premiered on Netflix.
- May 18: Hailey’s On It! airs its final episode on Disney Channel.
- May 20: The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish, the sequel series to The Fairly OddParents, premiered on Nickelodeon.
- May 21:
- Angry Birds Mystery Island premiered on Prime Video.
- The Hollywood Reporter reported that 175 members of Pixar’s workforce were laid off by The Walt Disney Company as part of the company’s reconstruction.
- May 24:
- Studio Colorido’s second Netflix-exclusive feature film, titled My Oni Girl, premiered simultaneously in Japanese theaters and on Netflix internationally.
- Columbia Pictures and Alcon Entertainment’s The Garfield Movie was released.
- South Park: The End of Obesity premiered on Paramount+.
- May 26: The second season of My Adventures with Superman premiered on Adult Swim.
- May 29: Japanese anime studio Gainax (Neon Genesis Evangelion), files for bankruptcy.
- May 31: The second part of the first season of the Max original series Scavengers Reign premiered on Netflix in the United States, following its cancellation at Max.
June
- June 6: Feature film Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation premiered on Disney Channel in the United States, followed by its Disney+ launch the next day on June 7.
- June 14:
- Pixar’s Inside Out 2 was released.
- Camp Snoopy premiered on Apple TV+.
- Ultraman: Rising premiered on Netflix.
- June 21: No Time to Spy: A Loud House Movie premiered on both Nickelodeon and Paramount+ in the United States.
- June 22: Lay-duce’s anime series adaptation of Nakaba Suzuki’s Rising Impact premiered on Netflix.
- June 25: MeTV Toons, a new 24-hour network devoted to classic cartoons was launched.
- June 27:
- The first 3 episodes of Suicide Squad Isekai premiered simultaneously on Hulu and Max in the United States.
- Ariel premiered on Disney Junior.
- June 28:
- Skydance Animation’s WondLa premiered on Apple TV+.
- Zombies: The Re-Animated Series premiered on Disney Channel.
July
- July 3: Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 was released.
- July 5:
- Yoshiyuki Momose’s anime film The Imaginary premiered on Netflix globally.
- The third of six half-hour Care Bears: Unlock the Magic specials, “The Star of a Thousand Wishes”, premiered on Max.
- July 10: The second and final season of Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years premiered on Paramount+.
- July 11: Sausage Party: Foodtopia premiered on Amazon Prime Video.
- July 12: Television series adaptation of The Oatmeal’s Exploding Kittens tabletop card game premiered on Netflix.
- July 15:
- The second season of Hit-Monkey premiered on Hulu.
- SpongeBob SquarePants celebrated its 25th anniversary with special episodes titled “Blood is Thicker Than Grease” and “PL-1413” that premiered on Nickelodeon.
- July 16: SpongeBob SquarePants celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special episode titled “In the Mood to Feud” that premiered on Nickelodeon, thus marking the airing of the first 300 episodes of the series.
- July 17:
- Season 2 of T・P Bon premiered on Netflix.
- SpongeBob SquarePants celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special episode titled “Mooned!” that premiered on Nickelodeon. It aired exactly 25 years after the official series premiere in 1999.
- July 18: SpongeBob SquarePants celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special episode titled “Hysterical History” that premiered on Nickelodeon.
- July 24: The fifteenth season of SpongeBob SquarePants premiered on Nickelodeon.
- July 25: Primos premiered on Disney Channel, followed by its Disney+ launch the next day on July 26.
- July 29: The second half of the eighth season of Futurama premiered on Hulu.
August
- August 1: Batman: Caped Crusader premiered on Amazon Prime.
- August 2: Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie premiered on Netflix.
- August 5: The tenth season of Gabby’s Dollhouse premiered on Netflix.
- August 6: Season 2 of Rising Impact premiered on Netflix.
- August 9:
- Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered on Paramount+.
- At Disney’s D23 exposition, Pixar announced a new original film Hoppers for 2026, and announced that a third The Incredibles film was in the works with Brad Bird directing. On the television side, Pixar also formally announced an Inside Out spin-off, Dream Productions for Disney+ for 2025.
- Warner Bros. Pictures leaves production of Sony Pictures Animation’s Fixed.
- August 22:
- Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos: The Movie premiered on Netflix.
- Iginio Straffi’s Mermaid Magic series premiered on Netflix.
- August 23: The eighth/final episode of Murder Drones, titled “Absolute End”, was released on YouTube.
- August 29: Skydance and Production I.G’s anime series, Terminator Zero, premiered on Netflix.
September
- September 1: The fourth of six half-hour Care Bears: Unlock the Magic specials, “The Bad Crowd Strikes Back!”, premiered on Max.
- September 19: Zack Snyder’s Twilight of the Gods series premiered on Netflix.
- September 20: Paramount Pictures’ Transformers One was released.
- September 27: DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot was released.
- September 30: Boomerang shuts down its streaming service, with its programming being moved to Max.
October
- October 3:
- DreamWorks Animation Television’s The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist premiered on Netflix.
- Season 2 of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai (now called “The Wild Batch”) premiered on Max.
- The final episode of Velma premieres on Max.
- October 4:
- The final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks premieres on Paramount+.
- Science Saru’s anime series adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu’s “Dan Da Dan” premiered on Netflix globally.
- The fifth of six half-hour Care Bears: Unlock the Magic specials, “The Mystery of the Snickering Ghost”, premiered on Max.
- The third episode of The Amazing Digital Circus, titled “The Mystery of Mildenhall Manor”, was released on YouTube and Netflix along with the second and first episodes.
- October 5: The second Halloween special of Kiff, titled “The Haunting of Miss McGravy’s House”, premiered on Disney Channel.
- October 10:
- Legendary Television’s Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft premiered on Netflix.
- SpongeBob SquarePants celebrated its 25th anniversary with an hour-long Halloween special titled “Kreepaway Kamp” that premiered on both Nickelodeon and Paramount+.
- October 11:
- Dragon Ball Daima premiered.
- Focus Features and Universal Pictures animated documentary Piece by Piece, a biography-film about Pharrell Williams told through Lego was released.
- October 16: Sing: Thriller, a Halloween short film based on Illumination’s Sing franchise, was released on Netflix.
- October 30: Max & the Midknights premiered on Nickelodeon.
November
- November 1: The sixth and final half-hour Care Bears: Unlock the Magic special, “The No Heart Games”, premiered on Max.
- November 9: Episodes 1-3 of the second and final season of Arcane premiered on Netflix as part of Act I.[12]
- November 11: SpongeBob SquarePants celebrated its 25th anniversary with a half-hour special episode titled “Snow Yellow” that premiered on Nickelodeon. It is a parody of the 1937 Disney fairytale feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
- November 14: Carl the Collector premiered on PBS Kids.
- November 16: Episodes 4-6 of the final season of Arcane premiered on Netflix as part of Act II.[12]
- November 20: Pamela Hayden, American actress who voiced Milhouse Van Houten, Jimbo Jones and more, retired from The Simpsons after 35 years.[13]
- November 22: Skydance Animation’s second feature film Spellbound premiered on Netflix.
- November 23: Episodes 7-9 of the final season of Arcane premiered on Netflix as part of Act III, concluding the series.[12]
- November 25: Season 4 of The Creature Cases was released on Netflix.
- November 27: Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana 2 was released.
- November 30: Teen Titans Go! aired its 400th episode on Cartoon Network, thus ending the eighth season of the series.
December
- December 1: Almost all of Netflix’s interactive titles were removed.
- December 2: SpongeBob SquarePants celebrated its 25th anniversary with a half-hour stop motion Christmas special titled Sandy’s Country Christmas that premiered on both Nickelodeon and Paramount+, thus ending the fourteenth season of the series.
- December 4: Locksmith Animation’s second feature film That Christmas premiered on Netflix.
- December 5:
- Titmouse’s Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld premiered on Netflix.
- DC Studios’s Creature Commandos premiered on Max.
- Part 1 of the third and final season of Beastars premiered on Netflix.
- December 10: Secret Level premiered on Amazon Prime Video
- December 11: Pixar’s Dream Productions, a series spin-off of the Inside Out film franchise, premiered on Disney+.
- December 13:
- The animated feature-length Lord of the Rings film, The War of the Rohirrim, from Warner Bros. Pictures, was released.
- The fourth episode of The Amazing Digital Circus, titled “Fast Food Masquerade”, was released on YouTube and Netflix.
- December 17:
- Fleischer Studios’ KoKo’s Earth Control is added to the National Film Registry.
- It was reported in The Hollywood Reporter that a character’s storyline in the upcoming Pixar series Win or Lose had been altered so that the character in question would no longer be transgender, even though Pixar had originally described the character as transgender, and cast a transgender girl to voice the role.[16][17] Subsequent follow-up by The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the episode had already originally been finished with the transgender storyline, requiring added expense to alter the episode, and that Pixar had also been asked to downplay the environmentalism themes of their upcoming film Hoppers.
- December 19: The final episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks premiered on Paramount+.
- Several Nickelodeon shows, including Doug, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, The Penguins of Madagascar, Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks and many others were removed from Paramount+.
- December 20:
- The live-action/animated film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from Paramount Pictures was released.
- Mufasa: The Lion King from Walt Disney Studios was released.
- December 21: Season 2 finale of Vivienne Medrano’s independent webseries Helluva Boss, titled “Sinsmas”, was released on YouTube.
- December 22: The final season of What If…? premiered on Disney+.
- December 25: Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom before its premiere on Netflix internationally on January 3, 2025.
Staff Writers at Open Chronicle produce in-depth, field-informed reporting on defense, diplomacy, cultural transformation, and global affairs. Known for clarity, accuracy, and analytical depth, they connect breaking developments to broader historical and strategic contexts. In addition to frontline journalism, Staff Writers also contribute to the Open Chronicle Encyclopedia, crafting authoritative entries that preserve critical knowledge and enrich public understanding.