Netflix revealed new details about its upcoming animation slate, fresh off the Annecy International Animation Film Festival stage, where the streamer hosted multiple presentations covering films, series, anime, from CG to hand-drawn, kids to family, and adult content.
Ahead of the Annecy Festival, The Movie Couple, along with a group of journalists, were invited to preview the upcoming titles, including Ghostbusters: Nightshift, Ray Gunn, Steps, THE ONE PIECE, In Waves, Alley Cats, Ribbon Hero, and Charlie vs the Chocolate Factory.
Ghostbusters: Nightshift
Who you gonna call? Netflix teams up with Sony Animation (KPop Demon Hunters, Across the Spider-Verse) for a new chapter in Ghostbusters lore. Set in 1994, after the original Ghostbusters disbanded, a group of young New Yorkers, armed with proton packs, will face some of the scariest entities they’ve ever encountered.
Animated TV series of Ghostbusters such as The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters took a much lighter approach, but this version will be darker and scarier. In the sneak peek, we were shown images and clips that sent a chill down my spine and that’s what makes this series even more exciting. Ghosts in an abandoned hospital, a mysterious creature with teeth for eyes, a phantom train conductor, and more.
Executive producers Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan know exactly what they wanted for this animated series, “We knew if we were to return to animation, this show needed to be excellent and maybe something a little bit scarier, maybe something not just for the kids. Yeah, we wanted it to be dangerously funny, actually scary, and 100% Ghostbusters. And gorgeous looking.” In the short clip we saw, it was exactly as they said – a terrifying train conductor, stunning animation, and filled with witty dialogue.
The animation features a gritty feel, with a DIY punk style that fits the group of young New Yorkers – The Goth, The Punk, The Kid, The Con Man, and The Scientist.
Synopsis: New York City, 1994 — Five years after the Ghostbusters took the Statue of Liberty for a walk, a new wave of supernatural terror hits the Big Apple, forcing a group of scrappy, young New Yorkers — untrained, underappreciated, and kinda sorta responsible for the problem — to put on proton packs, face their fears, and bust some ghosts.
Ray Gunn
From director Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles) comes a neo-noir animated feature that follows private detective Ray Gunn (Sam Rockwell) as he is drawn into a case involving aliens, scandals, murder, and popstarVenus Nova (Scarlett Johansson). Bird describes the film as “The Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers.”
We got a sneak peek at one of the scenes, where Ray Gunn and his partner Eyera (Tom Waits) infiltrate an office after hours, only to run into an unsavory group with the same agenda. This short clip has my interest, and I can’t wait to see more of the worldbuilding and these characters.
During the Q&A portion with Brad Bird, he revealed that the inspiration came from a misunderstanding of a song. “The first time I heard Planet Claire, the B-52’s Planet Claire, on the radio, I thought it was a cover version of Henry Mancini’s famous Peter Gunn theme,” remembers Bird. The song reminded him of a 50’s sci-fi movie. As he listened, inspiration hit, and “Peter Gunn” became “Ray Gunn,” and thus the movie’s protagonist was born.
Bird also touches on animation being more than a genre for kids entertainment. “I tried to convey to studio people years and years ago that I felt that there was an untapped audience for animation, that there were people, adults, grown people who actually really like animation and want to see more things in it. And so it is happening. Films like Persepolis are getting made or got made.”
The director believes animation is often miscalled a genre, and it’s not. “It’s a medium that can do any genre. So the more that animation can mix it up and not be worried about Little Jimmy all the time. You know, Little Jimmy will also grow up to be older Jimmy and then we can show him different animated films.”
Ray Gunn will premiere on Netflix on December 18, 2026.
Synopsis: In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.
Steps
What if we saw Cinderella’s story but from the stepsisters’ point of view? In this upcoming animated feature, forget everything you think you know about Cinderella and get ready for a new and exciting story.
Steps will premiere on November 20, 2026.
Synopsis: Think you know Cinderella’s “evil” stepsisters? Think again. Sick of living in Cinderella’s shadow, Lilith (Ali Wong) steals the Fairy Godmother (Bette Midler)’s magic wand and hijacks the Royal Ball with her sister Margot (Stephanie Hsu), breaking the Cinderella story as we know it and dooming the kingdom to the tyrannical rule of Priscilla (Nikki Glaser), a villainous schemer who swoops in and snatches the throne. Now, Lilith must team up with Cinderella (Amanda Seyfried) to fight biker trolls, outrun evil henchmen, and escape the Screaming Woods on an epic quest to save the kingdom, but most importantly, their relationship.
In Waves
From director Phuong Mai Nguyen comes In Waves, a deeply personal story based on the graphic novel by AJ Dungo. The story follows a teenage AJ who meets his first crush, Kristen. The story explores first love, friendship, and following one’s passion. When their blossoming relationship faces an unexpected illness, the dynamic shifts, but their love never falters.
In Waves is set to release on December 11, 2026.
Synopsis: In Los Angeles, AJ, a shy teenager, meets Kristen. She lives for surfing; he loves skateboarding and drawing. They fall madly in love, and a happy future seems within reach. But everything changes when Kristen faces a sudden illness. Together, they face adversity, driven by the strength of their love, their friends, and their newly shared passion for surfing and the ocean.
THE ONE PIECE
We got a quick peek at the upcoming new series, and as someone who’s only watched the live-action show so far, this has us very excited. The animation looks faithful to the original while using updated technology. Since the anime has over a thousand episodes and is still ongoing, catching up feels daunting. THE ONE PIECE will allow new fans to dive into the world of the Blue Sea from the beginning and current fans to revisit their favorite IP.
THE ONE PIECE will release in February 2027.
Synopsis: Produced by WIT Studio, THE ONE PIECE is a brand new anime adaptation starting from the very beginning of the original manga’s East Blue saga. Separate from the TV anime series that has charged full speed ahead over the course of more than 25 years, this series taps into the expressive potential of modern technology to offer a familiar yet fresh take on the adventures of Luffy.
THE RIBBON HERO
THE RIBBON HERO marks the feature film debut of director Yuki Igarashi whose virtuosic animation on works such as Jujutsu Kaisen and Star Wars: Visions earned him global recognition, reimagining Osamu Tezuka’s “Princess Knight,” a beloved classic from the father of manga. The movie will premiere on August 8, 2026.
Synopsis: Yuki Igarashi, regarded as one of the industry’s most versatile animators, directs the film. He first drew wide attention for the sophisticated animation he handled alone as key animator on the ending sequence of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1. His directorial debut, Star Wars: Visions – Lop & Ochō, received high praise in Japan and abroad for its delicate storytelling and dynamic action scenes. THE RIBBON HERO marks Igarashi’s first time directing a feature-length film.
Alley Cats
Nine lives, zero f*cks. Netflix’s upcoming original animated series “Alley Cats” will feature a group of foul-mouthed feral cats causing havoc. Led by Emmy- and BAFTA award-winning creator Ricky Gervais, the cast also includes Tom Basden, Andrew Brooke, David Earl, Kerry Godliman, Jo Hartley, Diane Morgan, and features Natalie Cassidy and Tony Way.
The series is set to premiere on Netflix on August 7 with six episodes. Each episode is estimated to be 15 mins long. The series features a bold 2D animation style produced at the UK-based award-winning Blink Industries.
Officiasynopsis: Alley Cats is an adult animated sitcom created by and starring the multi award-winning Ricky Gervais. The series follows the trials and tribulations of a group of feral British cats from all walks of society, who seek companionship while ruminating on everyday life. From the funny to the absurd, the series is packed with Gervais’ signature style of heart and social commentary that audiences have come to expect.
This announcements follow an unprecedented year for Netflix Animation, with the triumphant KPop Demon Hunters taking home a history-making two Oscars® and becoming Netflix’s most popular film of all time, spending over a year in Netflix’s Global Top 10*; 13 Annie Awards wins including three for Love, Death + Robots; and Ultraman: Rising nabbing the Children and Family Emmys for Outstanding Animated Special and Sound Mixing & Sound Editing for an Animated Program.
Netflix has become a go-to destination for animation in all its forms, with more than 130M members around the world watching a variety of animated titles every month. And anime fandom continues to grow at Netflix where programming topped more than 1.5B views in 2025.
