The Best New Family and Kids Movies Coming Out in 2025–2026

If there's one thing parents eagerly await at the end of the year, it's the list of new family movies coming out. The end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 are packed with exciting releases, offering plenty of family-friendly entertainment options.

So, what are the most anticipated family movies coming out in 2025-2026? Top new movies to add to your 2025-2026 must-watch list include A Paw Patrol Christmas, Zootopia 2, Wicked: Part Two, Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, to name just a few. These films promise a mix of nostalgia, adventure, and heartwarming stories, making them perfect for family viewing. And if you can't make it to the cinemas, don't stress because all of your favourite family movies will be available on streaming services after their initial cinema run - phew!

The Best New Family Movies Coming Out in 2025-2026

In Cinemas

1. Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie

Based on the popular Netflix TV series of the same name, Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie is a must-watch on your new family movies list!

Laila Lockhart Kraner reprises her role as Gabby as she goes on a wild ride to reclaim her prized dollhouse from an eccentric cat lady named Vera!

2. A Paw Patrol Christmas

Just in time for the festive season, A Paw Patrol Christmas follows the pups as they gear up for the most magical day of the year, until everything suddenly goes sideways at the North Pole. When Santa becomes unable to make his Christmas Eve journey, the holiday is at risk of being cancelled. To make matters worse, sneaky Mayor Humdinger sees an opportunity for mischief and sets out to swipe the presents for himself!

Filled with teamwork, silly moments, and snowy adventure, it's a heartwarming holiday story families can enjoy together.

3. Wicked: Part Two

If you couldn't get enough of Wicked in 2024, don't fret because the second instalment is coming to cinemas in 2025!

Following on from Part One, Wicked: Part Two delves even further into the tumultuous relationship between Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

4. Zootopia 2

The sequel to the wildly popular Zootopia (released in 2016) is hitting cinemas in 2025, and we can't wait!

Zootopia 2 is a sequel to the original adventure and sees veteran detective partners Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde face one of their toughest cases yet when a mysterious newcomer - a sly reptile - arrives in the bustling animal city of Zootopia and begins stirring up trouble. As the pair dive into undercover work to uncover what the newcomer is really up to, they journey into unexplored corners of the city and confront challenges that test their police skills

Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman will be back to voice our favourite duo, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. Other favourite characters such as Mr Big, Clawhauser, and Flash the Sloth will return alongside a new, creepy and highly venomous viper named Gary.

5. Pets on a Train

Pets on a Train is the tale of a lively group of domestic animals who unexpectedly end up on a cross-country train after a mix-up at a busy station. When their owners accidentally board the wrong train, the pets, including a determined dog, a pampered cat, a chatty parrot and a nervous hamster, must work together to navigate the winding rail journey home.

6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of Dr Seuss' most famous tales, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is back on the big screen at The Ritz Cinemas and other participating cinemas in December!

See Jim Carrey in one of his creepiest roles as the grumpy, green Grinch who lives in a cave high above Whoville and can't stand the town's joyful, noisy preparations for Christmas. Convinced that he can put an end to Christmas once and for all, he disguises himself as Santa and sneaks into Whoville on Christmas Eve, stealing gifts, decorations and even the food for the feast. How will the residents of Whoville react when they wake up and see their Christmas completely ruined?

7. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

In this undersea caper, our ever-excited hero, SpongeBob SquarePants, wakes up with one goal in mind: prove he's really "a big guy" worthy of respect from his boss and friends in Bikini Bottom. When a ghost pirate, The Flying Dutchman, appears and issues a challenge, SpongeBob teams up with his best pal Patrick Star and the rest of his quirky crew for a wild expedition into the ocean's most mysterious regions that forces SpongeBob to face what "being big" truly means.

Now Streaming

8. Lilo & Stitch

We absolutely love live-action remakes of our favourite movies, and Lilo & Stitch is definitely one of them!

Your favourite alien goofball is back in 2025, but this time, he's a CGI version! The 2025 remake of Lilo & Stitch stays true to the 2002 original, telling the story of a lonely human girl named Lilo who makes friends with a dog-like alien and names him Stitch.

9. How To Train Your Dragon

Yet another live-action remake to add to your list of new family movies to watch in 2025, How To Train Your Dragon hits cinemas this year.

The live-action remake is one of the most highly anticipated new family movies of 2025. It takes us back to the mythical Viking village of Berk, where a teenage Viking named Hiccup decides to train rather than kill the first dragon he catches, as is customary in his tribe. What ensues is a crazy adventure Hiccup never saw coming.

10. Elio

Disney and Pixar's brand-new animated adventure, Elio, will take families on an intergalactic journey like never before.

For centuries, humans have sent messages into the universe, hoping for a response. But what if the universe actually answered? That's precisely what happens to Elio, an imaginative underdog who suddenly finds himself beamed up into the Communiverse - a cosmic organisation filled with representatives from galaxies far, far away. But there's one little problem... the aliens mistakenly think he's Earth's official ambassador! Completely unprepared but determined, Elio must find his place among a crowd of quirky extraterrestrials, tackle epic challenges, and ultimately figure out who he's truly meant to be.

11. The Smurfs Movie

The Smurfs are back in action in the 2025 musical animation, The Smurfs Movie.

Rihanna, James Corden, and other stars will voice all of our favourite Smurfs as they go on an interdimensional adventure to discover the power within and answer the universal question: What is a Smurf?

12. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Get ready to meet Marvel's First Family like you've never seen them before! Set in a colourful, retro-futuristic version of the 1960s, The Fantastic Four: First Steps blasts onto the screen with the Fantastic Four taking on their biggest mission yet.

As they juggle superhero duties with the ups and downs of family life, the team must stand firm to save Earth from the mighty Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a cosmic threat with a hunger for worlds and a plan that hits very close to home. Alongside his mysterious Herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), this showdown is anything but ordinary. Packed with action, heart, and a stellar cast, this adventure is set to be an epic new chapter in the Marvel universe!

13. Freakier Friday

Who's ready to swap lives, again?! Starring the iconic duo Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, Freakier Friday is back to turn our lives topsy-turvy again.

In Freakier Friday, it's time to catch up with Tess and Anna years after their unforgettable body-swap adventure. Now, Anna's all grown up with a daughter - and a soon-to-be stepdaughter - of her own. As their blended family finds its groove, a surprising twist throws them back into familiar (and hilarious) territory. Can lightning really strike twice?

Directed by Nisha Ganatra and inspired by Mary Rodgers' beloved book, the film features a star-studded cast, heart, humour, and a whole lot of chaos.

14. The Bad Guys 2

The Bad Guys are back in The Bad Guys 2, another sequel heading to cinemas in 2025.

The Bad Guys are struggling to prove that their new 'Good Guys' status is legit, especially when they're pulled out of retirement for 'just one last job'. Can they prove to everyone that they've transformed from good to bad, or are they always going to be just the Bad Guys?

15. Dora: Magic Mermaid Adventures

Dora is back and more magical than ever! Dive into a swimsational movie-theatre event jam-packed with family fun.

Join Dora and Boots as they strum a magical charango and transform into mermaids, diving deep into a colourful underwater world in Dora: Magic Mermaid Adventures.

And in 2026...

16. The Cat in the Hat

Don your striped hats and embrace the whimsical world of Dr Seuss once more as The Cat in the Hat is making a triumphant return!

Universal Studios is bringing The Cat in the Hat back to the big screen with a brand-new animated adaptation, set for release in March 2026. This fresh take on the classic 1957 tale promises to captivate both new audiences and longtime fans. Leading the voice cast is the versatile Bill Hader as the mischievous Cat. Joining him are Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang, Xochitl Gomez, and Paula Pell , rounding out a stellar ensemble.

17. The Magic Faraway Tree

Us parents might actually be more excited about this new release than the kids! For those who grew up reading the iconic Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, you'll be thrilled to hear that a live-action remake is coming to cinemas in 2025 (exact date TBC) with a stellar cast reprising all your favourite characters!

Nicola Coughlan and Andrew Garfield are among the cast as they lead us on the tale of three siblings — Beth, Joe and Franny — who discover a magical forest in the English countryside. At the centre of this magical forest is the Faraway Tree, home to bold and peculiar characters and a portal to several eccentric lands, including the Land of Take What You Want and the Land of Goodies.

18. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

With a superstar cast including Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, and Keegan-Michael Key, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is an animated action-comedy film set in the world of Nintendo's famous Super Mario Bros series and serves as a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023).

19. Toy Story 5

Yes, you read that right - a fifth Toy Story movie is coming out! There is so much to be excited about in the latest Toy Story movie.

While a full trailer hasn't been released yet, we do know that Tom Hanks and Tim Allen will be back as Woody and Buzz, alongside other favourite toys such as Forky, Hamm, Slinky Dog, Bullseye, and Jesse. This time around, the toys are up against a new threat: technology. Toy Story 5 will focus heavily on the impact technology, eg, iPads, mobile phones, Xbox, and computer games, is having on kids and their ability, or lack thereof, to play with traditional toys.

20. Minions 3

We can't believe there is yet another Minions movie in the works, but there you have it, Minions 3 is hitting cinemas in 2026!

Universal and Illumination have confirmed that everyone's favourite tiny, mischievous henchmen will return to the big screen in June 2026. And as for the plot, few details have been released, so we're still unsure of what's in store for us in 2026.

The last time we saw Gru and his devoted Minions, they were just getting started on their journey to world domination in Minions: The Rise of Gru. The mid-credits scene teased a major connection to the original Despicable Me, with Dr Nefario introducing Gru to a high-tech airship that looked suspiciously familiar. Could this mean Minions 3 will bridge the gap between the prequels and the 2010 blockbuster that started it all? There's also the question of Wild Knuckles, Gru's former mentor and legendary villain, who faked his own death in The Rise of Gru. Could he make a return for another action-packed mission? Or will Gru and the Minions take on an entirely new foe as they continue their rise in the villain world?

21. Shrek 5

After 26 long years, the swamp's most famous ogre is finally making his return to the big screen. Shrek 5 is officially happening, set to hit theatres in 2026, just in time for the 26th anniversary of the original Shrek movie.

Fans will be thrilled to know that Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers, and Eddie Murphy are all returning to voice their iconic characters, but beyond that, DreamWorks is keeping the plot under wraps. One thing's for sure: for Shrek and Fiona to be pulled away from their peaceful swamp life, something big must be going down.

One possible storyline could focus on their kids, who would now be teenagers, and if raising ogre toddlers was tough, imagine the chaos of dealing with angsty, rebellious ogre teens. There's also the question of what's been happening in Far Far Away since we last left off? Has Prince Charming finally taken a hint? Did Donkey and Dragon's kids turn into full-fledged troublemakers? And what about all the fairytale misfits - are they still living their best storybook lives, or has something gone terribly wrong?

Taking the kids to the cinema is our saving grace on rainy weekends, during school holidays, or on days when you need them to focus on something other than you! We regularly update this list with new family movies coming to cinemas and kids' movies now available for streaming, so keep checking back to make your next date with your little movie buffs!

More Family-Friendly Shows

Families looking for more screen-time favourites can also explore other popular entertainment guides on ellaslist. You can browse a curated list of popular ABC Kids Shows, check out our round-up of fun Podcasts for Kids, or find top picks in our guide to the Best Kids' Movies on Netflix, which offers plenty of family-friendly titles for cosy nights at home.

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The Best New Family and Kids Movies Coming Out in 2025-2026