Animaland

"A new era of talking animals is here."

- Tagline.

Animaland is an upcoming 2025 computer-animated science-fiction adventure comedy film directed by Akiva Schaffer. It is the 29th film produced by Sony Pictures Animation, and it's distributed by Sony, produced by Jared Stern, Clark Spencer, James Gunn, and Tyson Heese, from a screenplay by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and written by Ash Marron, Chris Buck, and Gunn. The film stars an ensemble cast including Andy Samberg, Will Arnett, Barry Keoghan, Jacob Tremblay, Steve Carell, Xochilt Gomez, Josh Brolin, Eugenio Derbez, Charlie Day, Jonathan Majors, Simon Cowell, Anna Faris, Dwayne Johnson, Keanu Reeves, Jordan Peele, Keegan Michael-Key, Amy Poehler, Jack Black, and Adam Arkin.

The film was intended to be an anthropomorphic film that actually adresses the plot about talking animals. The film utilized an animation style akin to Dreamworks Animation's The Bad Guys with "styled movements and action", as well as fitting computer-animated character designs and settings. With a budget of $250 million, it is one of the most expensive animated films ever made.

Animaland was theatrically released on July 28, 2025 in the United States, and worldwide on August 1, 2025. It received positive reviews from critics, praising the animation, cast, characterization, story, score, and emotional weight, though it's perceived lack of originality was criticized. It was a commercial success, grossing $527 million. A sequel was released in 2029.

Synopsis
Dippy (Andy Samberg) is an enthusiastic and playful monkey who was raised by an elder vulture (Adam Arkin) and is the founder of a group of friend animals known as the Animal Buds at an animal zoo reserve known as Jeff's Zooland. Among his Buds are a tiger known as Elias (Will Arnett), a bat named Butcher (Barry Keoghan), and the young parrot Mackie (Jacob Tremblay). As Dippy tries to grow the Buds and confess his love on another monkey (Anna Faris), the Buds will find themselves on their seemingly destined quest to save the Zooland when an aggresive rat named Rattie (Josh Brolin), who has just gained anthropomorphic intelligence, now has a devious plan to rule over all animals  of the Zooland by wiping out the Advance anthropomorphism from all of them but himself. So now Dippy must get help from all animals as possible to stop Rattie and find the destined path for the Animal Buds going forward.

Plot
Decades ago, during an unspecified war, scientists accidentally created a serum nicknamed the “Advance” that was soon spread and plagued across nearly all animals in the world, giving them human intelligence and language skills with each other.

Joe’s Zoooland is a zoological reserve. While the humans and children observe the animals like a normal zoo, at the same time they act as a community and place for them to live and interact with each other. Dippy (Andy Samberg), a monkey raised by an elder vulture named Old Peak (Adam Arkin), is the founder and leader of a “friendly defense” group to the town called the Animal Buds, alongside a tiger named Elias (Will Arnett), a bat and his best friend Butcher (Barry Keoghan), and a young parrot named Mackie (Jacob Tremblay). While they attempt good actions for the community, they are mostly mocked by and intimidated by the rest of the Zooland. Dippy tries his best to well-lead the group while trying to impress his love interest, a recently-transferred monkey from Alabama named Rosie (Anna Faris).

Every month, new transferred animals arrive. Dippy tries to invite every transferred animal to join the Buds going forward, but the resulting ones of the month, including a Comodor named Scott (Steve Carell), a Venezuelan poodle moth named Whitey (Xochitl Gomez), and a lone polar bear named Blanket (Charlie Day), prove too timid and disappointing in Dippy and the rest of the group. After an attempted rescue to hyena Carlos Hyernandez (Eugenio Derbez) turns out to be a prank made by him, Rosie is impressed by Dippy’s bravery and the two decide to meet each other in the night. However, the date is hindered after the Zooland’s protector Boomshark (Jack Black) finds a sample of the Advance and falls on an infiltrated rat named Rattie (Josh Brolin), whose family never had the Advance serum, and he begins using his newfound abilities to wreak havoc on the Zooland. He soon vows revenge for never getting the Advance before burning major parts of the Zooland, including the homes of Hyernandez and his stepbrother Jasper McGuffin (Jonathan Majors), a rock-obsessed snake named Morton (Dwayne Johnson), a stray cat named Pegasus (Keanu Reeves), and two competing beavers named Bob (Jordan Peele) and Joe (Keegan-Michael Key). Rattie falsely promises to rebuild their homes with his planning-to-obtain Advance powers if they serve him in his quest to wipe out all Advance effects from all animals at the Zooland, and kidnaps Rosie due to her jewel having a connection with the Advance, before escaping with his henchmen.

To be continued

Voice Cast

 * Andy Samberg as Dippy, a monkey raised by Old Peak and a member of the Animal Buds.
 * Will Arnett as Elias, an agile and bold tiger and a member of the Animal Buds.
 * Barry Keoghan as Butcher, a bat who is Dippy’s best friend and company and one of the Animal Buds.
 * Jacob Tremblay as Mackie, a child parrot who is a member of the Animal Buds.
 * Steve Carell as Scott, a Comodor who dreams to be free. He later joins the Animal Buds.
 * Xochitl Gomez as Whitey, a Venezuelan poddle moth who hides in a cage at Joe’s Zooland. She later joins the Animal Buds.
 * Josh Brolin as Rattie, a power-hungry rat who wants to take over the animal world by de-advancing all animals.
 * Eugenio Derbez as Carlos Hyernandez, a hyena who loves pranks and Jasper’s stepbrother and a later member of the Animal Buds.
 * Charlie Day as Blanket, a lone but playful polar bear and secretly a yeti who was transferred from the Arctic due to global warming and joins the Animal Buds.
 * Jonathan Majors as Jasper McGuffin, a bandicoot and bounty Hunter who is Carlos’ stepbrother.
 * Simon Cowell as Coops “the Ripper”, a bull with cow likeness who later befriends the Animal Buds.
 * Anna Faris as Rosie, a monkey transfered from Alabama and Dippy’s love interest.
 * Dwayne Johnson as Morton, a snake obsessed with rocks.
 * Keanu Reeves as Pegasus “the Great”, a stray cat who becomes Rattie’s most loyal henchman.
 * Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael-Key as Bob and Joe, two beavers who fight against each other.
 * Amy Poehler as Pearl, a rat who is Rattie's sister.
 * Jack Black as Bruce Shaksvioch / Boomshark, a friendly shark who ‘’protects’’ the water animals on Joe’s Zooland.
 * Adam Arkin as Old Peak, a wise, eldery vulture who lost his child after being eaten by crocodiles during an incident on the Zooland.

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