Animal: 184

An animated fantasy adventure film, Wolfwalkers (2020), was co-directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart. Set in Ireland during 1650, the townspeople of Kilkenny are ordered by the authoritarian Lord Protector to clear the woods near their town, resulting in tension with a wolf pack. Bill Goodfellowe, an English hunter, has been summoned to Kilkenny with his daughter Robyn to eliminate the wolves. In a bid to help her father, Robyn secretly follows him out of town with her pet falcon, Merlyn. Accidently shooting Merlyn while trying to kill a wolf causes Robyn to track down ...

Stephen Gaghan directed the American fantasy adventure film, Dolittle (2020). The screenplay was co-written by Gaghan, Dan Gregor, and Doug Mand, based on a story by Thomas Shepherd. Set in Victorian era Britain, the film follows Dr. John Dolittle, a Welsh veterinarian with the unique ability to communicate with animals. After his wife Lily’s death at sea, Dolittle isolates himself from human society and focuses solely on ...

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (2020) is an American fantasy comedy film, based on the book series by Stephan Pastis and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. In a world where imaginary friends co-exist with humans, Timmy is an 11-year-old residing in Portland, Oregon with his single mother Patty. Operating Total Failure Inc as well as his own detective agency, Timmy ‘solves’ cases with his trusted partner Total (widely believed to be the result of his father’s absence). Together they roam the city, outsmarting what Timmy refers to as ‘the Russians’ (but are actually just bearded hipsters). ...

Out (2020), an American computer-animated short film, follows the story of Greg and his boyfriend Manuel as they prepare to move. As they pack up Greg’s belongings outside his townhouse, a magical cat and dog appear. The cat grants Jim’s collar with special powers while inside, Manuel encourages Greg to come out to his parents who have arrived unexpectedly to assist with the move. In a hurried moment, Greg hides a photo of them together and Manuel discreetly slips out through the back door. As they hold onto Jim’s collar, Greg playfully wishes that he could become a dog, leading to their minds switching bodies in a magical twist of events.

The film The Call of the Wild (2020) is based on Jack London’s novel from 1903 and tells the story of Buck, a large and gentle mix of Saint Bernard and Scotch Shepherd. He lives happily with his master, Judge Miller, in Santa Clara, California during the late 19th century. However, one night he is taken away and ends up on a ship bound for the Yukon. On the journey, a crew member uses violence to maintain discipline towards Buck. When they eventually reach Alaska, John Thornton loses his harmonica which Buck retrieves for him just before being sold to Perrault and Francoise. They run a dog sled team that delivers ...

Kitbull (2019) is an animated short and viral video created by Rosana Sullivan, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the third film in Pixar’s SparkShorts program. A feline resides among the trash cans behind a building in San Francisco’s Mission District. While scavenging for food on the streets, the cat is offered a meal by a passerby but quickly flees. It takes shelter in a cardboard box within a rundown building’s garbage heap. Eventually, a friendly pit bull joins the cat in a doghouse behind the building. Despite initially ...

The American fantasy adventure comedy film, Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), was directed by Jake Kasdan. Along with co-writers Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg, Kasdan masterfully crafted a story that follows Spencer Gilpin, Anthony ‘Fridge’ Johnson, Martha Kaply, and Bethany Walker. The group reunites over Christmas break after being away from each other during their first semester of college. However, not everything is as it seems for Spencer, who feels ...

Based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy of novels, His Dark Materials (2019–2022) is a fantasy drama TV series that is produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Productions. BBC One and HBO co-produce the show, with HBO also handling worldwide distribution. The story follows orphan Lyra as she embarks on a quest to find her missing friend and uncovers a kidnapping plot involving a mysterious substance called Dust. The first eight-episode season debuted on 3 November 2019 in the UK on BBC One, and on 4 November in the US and other countries via HBO. The second season, consisting of seven episodes, premiered on 8 November 2020 in ...

Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019) is an American animated direct-to-video comedy mystery film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and the thirty-second entry in the direct-to-video series of Scooby-Doo films. Prior to The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, audiences are shown a prologue featuring a young Vincent Van Ghoul and his partner Mortifer sealing the final ghost into the Chest of Demons. Unfortunately, Mortifer is attacked and assumed to be killed by minion ghosts while Vincent manages to escape with a heavy heart. During the opening credits, Vincent recounts the series events where ...

Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? (2019–2021) is an animated show created by Warner Bros. Animation as part of the long-running Scooby-Doo franchise. It was produced by Chris Bailey and debuted on Boomerang’s SVOD service on June 27, 2019. The show later premiered on Cartoon Network on July 8, 2019 and on the Boomerang channel on October 1, 2020. Its second season was released in full on HBO Max (now Max) on October 1, 2021. Just like The New Scooby-Doo Movies, this series centers on the Mystery Inc. gang as they unravel mysteries with the help of celebrities and ...

Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island (2019) is an animated mystery film from Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Serving as the thirty-third installment in the direct-to-video series, it is a sequel to the first Scooby-Doo direct-to-video movie, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, released in 1998. In this adventure, the gang works together to catch various monsters, including Young Man Withers, who turns out to be a member of the Withers family. After a wild dream sequence involving the Mystery Machine going backwards, Fred discovers that he has sold their van and retired from mystery solving. However, after seeing a news report and ...

The American comedy-drama film, The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), directed by Simon Curtis and written by Mark Bomback, is based on the 2008 novel by Garth Stein. In Seattle, a dying Golden Retriever named Enzo (after Enzo Ferrari) is eagerly waiting for his master and best friend, Denny to return home. As soon as Denny arrives, he notices that Enzo is unable to move and gently picks him up, assuring him that he will always be there for him. It triggers a memory for Enzo of a documentary he watched about belief in ...

Pet Sematary (2019) is an American horror film directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer. Based on Stephen King’s 1983 novel of the same name, it is the second adaptation of the story. Louis Creed, an ER doctor from Boston, Massachusetts, relocates to Ludlow, Maine with his family after losing their home. With his wife Rachel, their two children, Ellie and Gage, and their cat Church in tow, they settle into small-town life. During an exploration of the nearby woods, Rachel and Ellie come across a group of children ...

Dumbo (2019), an American fantasy period adventure film directed by Tim Burton and written by Ehren Kruger, is a live-action adaptation and reimagining of Walt Disney’s 1941 animated feature film of the same name. Based on the novel by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, it takes place in 1919 Sarasota, Florida. Equestrian performer and World War I amputee Holt Farrier has returned to his previous employer, the Medici Brothers’ Circus, which is run by Max Medici. ...

An American animated comedy film, The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019), was created by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures. Following the events of the first movie, Max and Duke’s owner, Katie, marries a man named Chuck and has a son named Liam. At first, Max disapproves of Liam but later develops overprotective feelings for him. To help with his symptoms, Katie takes Max to the vet and gets him a dog cone. But when the family goes on a road trip to Chuck’s uncle’s farm, Max is initially uncomfortable with the new environment. Welsh Sheepdog Rooster advises him to let go of his insecurities about Liam and removes his dog cone. After ...

The American historical adventure film, Togo (2019), was directed by Ericson Core and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It follows the story of Leonhard Seppala and his beloved sled dog during the 1925 serum run to Nome. The film alternates between Seppala’s early days with Togo, when he is initially raised as a puppy, and the intense journey they undertake years later. In Nome, Alaska in 1913, Seppala and his wife Constance add a Siberian Husky puppy to their pack of sledding dogs. Though Seppala suggests retiring him due to his small size, Constance has unwavering faith in the young dog. However, he proves to be ...

The American musical drama film, The Lion King (2019), is directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Fairview Entertainment. It is a computer-animated remake of the 1994 traditionally animated film of the same name. In the African Pride Lands, a pride of lions reigns over the animal kingdom from Pride Rock. King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi introduce their newborn son, Simba, to the other animals with Rafiki, the shaman and advisor of the kingdom. As Mufasa shows Simba around the Pride Lands, he also teaches him about his responsibilities as king and the concept of the “circle of life”. ...

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018) is an adventure drama film, directed by Andy Serkis. The screenplay, written by Callie Kloves, is based on tales from All the Mowgli Stories by Rudyard Kipling. In the Indian jungle, the wise Indian python seer Kaa witnesses Shere Khan, a cruel Bengal tiger, breaking ‘jungle law’ by attacking a human family. After finding a surviving infant, Bagheera takes him to an Indian wolf family led by Nisha and Vihaan. However, their presence is noticed by Tabaqui, Shere ...

Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny (2018–2019) is an American computer-animated streaming television limited series produced by DreamWorks Animation Television. Taking place after the events of Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), the show follows Po the panda as he embarks on a new journey alongside four young pandas (Nu Hai, Jing, Bao, and Fan Tong). While exploring a hidden cave in their village, the panda kids unknowingly absorb the chi of four legendary Kung Fu warriors known as the four constellations. Each panda possesses a quality that is the opposite of their corresponding constellation’s prime quality – Blue Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and ...

Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost (2018), an American animated comedy mystery film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, follows the gang as they travel to the Rocky Harbor Inn at the invitation of Fred’s uncle, world-renowned chef Bobby Flay. Upon their arrival, Fred is surprised to discover his family connection to the inn’s founder, Edward Flay. However, while exploring the lobby and learning about Edward’s mysterious disappearance centuries ago, they are interrupted by groundskeeper Jeremiah Noseworthy who mentions a red ghost. Bobby explains that this ghost was said to have been responsible for ...