A new animatedBarbiemovie is in development, with it finally bringing animatedBarbieto the big screen as the sequel to Margot Robbie’s live-action hit continues development. 2023’s live-actionBarbiemovie reinvigorated theBarbiemovie franchise after years of direct-to-video films, and an animatedBarbiemovie unlike any other is Mattel’s response to Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s smash hit success.
According toDeadline, Mattel Studios is teaming up with Illumination Entertainment to make an animatedBarbiemovie. This theatrically releasedBarbiefilm will be thefirst animatedBarbiemovie to hit theaters, making it an exciting upgrade from the plethora of otherBarbieflicks.Deadlinealso reports that the animated filmwill be distributed by Universal Pictures.
Nothing is yet known about the story or creatives behind Illumination’sBarbiemovie, but fans can expect a star-studded cast based on the studio’s previous works. ThisanimatedBarbiemoviealso comes as Mattel is rapidly increasing its movie output, with projects based onMasters of the Universe,Matchbox,Hot Wheels, and more currently in the works.
What Illumination’s Animated Barbie Movie Means For The Franchise
It May Double Down On The Franchise’s Box Office Success
The IlluminationBarbiemovie is clearly a response to the live-action success from 2023, as years of animatedBarbiemovies have been released without hitting theaters. Mattel obviously has a lot more confidence in theBarbiebrand thanks toBarbie’s massive box office success in 2023, and this could be the start of an animated franchise.
While no release date for the animatedBarbiemovie has been provided yet, it is likely that it will release in 2027 or beyond. Illumination currently only has two animated films slated, those beingThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2on August 01, 2025 andMinions 3on Jun 21, 2025. So,Barbieprobably won’t release until after those two hit theaters.
Our Take On Illumination’s Animated Barbie Movie
Illumination Is A Great Pick FOr The Film
Illumination’s reputation for releasing massive box-office hits makes it an obvious pick for Mattel Studios’Barbiemovie, and after the success of the Margot Robbie version, this will undoubtedly be another one.Illumination has already proven that it can successfully adapt massive brandslike Dr. Seuss andSuper Mario, andBarbieis next in line.
One concern is that this new animatedBarbiemovie could conflict with the sequel to the live-action film. If they release around the same time, the respectiveBarbiemovies could cannibalize each other’s box office returns. However, if Mattel Studios properly plans their release date, oneBarbiemovie will drop right as fans are missing the last one.
