All Of The Kids Movies We Can't Wait To Watch This Summer & Beyond

In theaters May 17

Do you remember your childhood imaginary friend? Well, what if they weren’t exactly imaginary? Young Bea finds herself thrown into this remarkable scenario when she gains the ability to see people’s imaginary friends (IFs... get it?) But here’s the thing with imaginary friends: very few children keep them into adulthood. This means there’s a whole lot of IFs out there with no child to play with. Teaming up with The Man Upstairs, who shares Bea’s unique gift, the pair decide to help the IFs find new playmates.

In theaters May 24

Your favorite Monday-hating, lasagna-loving orange kitty is back for his first feature film in almost 20 years. When Garfield is unexpectedly reunited with his long-last father, a fast-talking street cat named Vic, Garfield and Odie are coaxed into joining the alley-cat for the ultimate heist.

In theaters June 14

Riley is now officially a teenager, but Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust are confident they can guide her through. After all, they got her through her big move to San Francisco a few years ago! But when headquarters undergoes a sudden, unexpected demolition, new emotions show up on the scene, including the jittery Anxiety. This might just be harder than they thought...

In theaters July 3

We don’t know much about the fourth film in this popular series (and the sixth in the franchise) but we do know that Steve Carell is returning as reformed super-villain Gru, Kristen Wiig is coming back as his wife Lucy, and Pierre Coffin will once again voice the many, many Minions

In theaters Aug. 2

When the power of unlimited imagination falls into the wrong hands, Harold must rely on all his friends’ creativity and his famous purple crayon to save his world... and the real world. Cast includes Zachary Levi, Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel, Ravi Patel, Camille Guaty, Tanya Reynolds, and Pete Gardner.

In theaters Sept. 6

It’s been more than 35 years since this cult classic came out and inspired new generations of quirky goth girls, and we can’t wait for this next chapter. Again, the details of the story have been kept tightly under wraps, but we know that members of the original cast — Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara — will return joined by Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz (Lydia’s daughter), Monica Bellucci as Betelgeuse’s wife, and Willem Dafoe a “ghost detective.” Justin Theroux and Arthur Conti are also confirmed to be in the cast though their roles have not been disclosed.

In theaters Nov. 27.

We know very little about Moana 2, the sequel to the 2016 blockbuster. We know Moana and Maui are back with a new crew, and we know music will be provided by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the Grammy-award winning duo behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. (Music in the original film was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is not thought to be returning.) So far, we’ve only seen a teaser trailer, but we look forward to leaning more later this year.

In theaters Nov. 27

This highly anticipated film is based on the 2003 musical (which, in turn, was based on the excellent 1995 book by Gregory Maguire) and gives one of the 20th century’s most iconic villains — the Wicked Witch of the West — a compelling and heartfelt backstory. We begin at the end: the Wicked Witch (Elphaba) is dead, and Glinda, her one-time friend, begins to explain the circumstances of her sad, misunderstood life. Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Arianna Grande as Glinda, Michelle Yeoh as Madam Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

In theaters Dec. 13

While Sony has promised “a return to the original Karate Kid franchise” and we know that Ralph Macchio is returning as Daniel and Jackie Chan is returning as Mr. Han (from the Jayden Smith reboot of the franchise in 2010), we don’t know much else. Will the popular Netflix series Cobra Kai figure into the plot? Will this be an all new continuation of the story? We’re excited to find out.

In theaters Dec. 20

This film, years in development, is a prequel to The Lion King, done in a photo-realistic CGI-style (think the 2019 Lion King remake). It is a frame tale, with Rafiki telling Kiara, Simba and Nala’s daughter, the story of her grandfather, Mufasa, and great-uncle, Scar. Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen reprise their roles as Timon and Pumbaa, who add humorous commentary to the story.

In theaters Dec. 20

Details of this third installment in the part-live-action/part-CGI movie are scant, but it was announced before the second movie even came out so it’s been years in development. We also know that Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, and James Marsden will reprise their roles as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Tom, and that we can expect an appearance from Sonic’s rival, Shadow the Hedgehog.

Premiere date TBD

Despite Looney Tunes being almost 100 years old, Bugs, Daffy, and the gang have never had a fully animated theatrical release! That’s going to change in 2024. In this sci-fi comedy, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig discover a secret alien plot to take over the Earth with mind control. Can these two wacky buds save the world... without driving each other crazy?

Premiere date TBD

In this continuation of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which came out in 2023, Miles Morales must stop the villainous Spot from destroying the multiverse... and all the various Spideys within it, including his inter-dimensional friend/love interest, Gwen. This will be the last installment of the Miles Morales trilogy and considering the first won an Oscar and the second was just as good if not even better, we can’t wait for this one to drop.

This may not be your mother’s Mean Girls, but we mothers (and others) were still excited to see this pillar of Millennial culture on the big screen once again. This time the antics of Cady and the Plastics will be set to music. Based on the Tony-nominated Broadway hit, Mean Girls is essentially the plot of the film you know and love (it was even adapted by Tina Fey, who famously wrote the originally movie) but with an absolute banger of a score. (Can’t wait for “World Burn.”)

Stream Mean Girls, rated PG-13, on Amazon Prime, Paramount+, and AppleTV+.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the sequel to 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, blending together members of the original cast with the next generation of ghost hunters.

In this new installment, the Spengler family leaves Summerville, Oklahoma (where they’ve recently averted a catastrophic dimensional cross-rip) and go back to the iconic New York City firehouse to help the original Ghostbusters at their top-secret paranormal research lab. But after they accidentally unleash a dark and ancient force known as the Death Chill, old Ghostbusters and new must join forces to save the world from a second Ice Age.

Rent or purchase Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, rated PG-13, on Prime Video, VUDU and AppleTV+.

In the latest installment of the beloved franchise, Po, now the spiritual leader of the Vally of Peace, must train a new warrior. But when a dastardly shape-shifting sorceress attempts to take the Staff of Wisdom for herself, he knows he needs help. What he doesn’t quite know yet is that allies can be found in the most unlikely of places.

Purchase Kung Fu Panda 4, rated PG, on YouTube or Amazon Prime.