Felix the Cat is a 2026 animated musical-comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. Based on on the cartoon and comic strip character and 1958 TV series of the same name, it was directed by David Soren from a screenplay by Nicholas Stoller, and stars the voices of Eric Bauza, Hank Azaria, Dan Castellaneta, Pedro Pascal, Tara Strong and Kimiko Glenn. In the film, Felix must embark on his biggest adventure yet while the Professor tries to steal his magic bag of tricks.
Felix the Cat was released theatrically in the United States on October 30, 2026. The film received highly positive reviews, with critics praising the animation, score, humor, faithfulness, and references to its source material, and voice acting, particularly from Bauza. It grossed $174 million worldwide against a budget of $56 million.
Synopsis[]
Taking place shortly after the events of World War I, Felix, a failed silent film star, seeks connection as he walks the streets of New York. Isolated, bullied and disregarded by society, Felix begins a slow descent into madness as he seeks to regain his fame, learning to use a magic bag of tricks gifted to him by a nerdy scientist named Poindexter.
Voice cast[]
- Eric Bauza as Felix, a failed silent film star who is rejected by society and aspires to get the fame he wanted.
- Hank Azaria as the Professor, a mad scientist who becomes Felix's arch-enemy.
- Dan Castellaneta as Rosco, a dim-witted cat who becomes Felix's first friend.
- Pedro Pascal as Poindexter, the Professor's nerdy son who gives Felix a bag of tricks.
- Tara Strong as Inky, Dinky, and Winky, Felix's nephews who visit him for the week and help him out.
- Kimiko Glenn as Kitty, a female cat who stands up for Felix and later becomes his girlfriend. She was redesigned to be "slightly more tomboyish" for the film.
Production[]
In 2014, Don Oriolo sold the trademark and remaining copyrights to Felix the Cat to DreamWorks Animation via DreamWorks Classics, which is now part of Comcast's NBCUniversal division via Universal Pictures. A film featuring the character was in the talks, and began pre-production in October 2023. The film was announced on October 17, 2024. On that day, it was also revealed that a Felix the Cat series had been reworked into the film, with many of the show's staff being contracted to help produce the film.
The overall art design and color scheme was inspired heavily by numerous animated works prior to the 21st century, such as those of Walt Disney, Chuck Jones, Matt Groening, Geo G., Joe Murray, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and Don Bluth. The animation team used a method called cel shading to give the character models a flat appearance with thick outlines and minimal shading, while animating the models largely on twos in order to make the outlines look "natural". This creative choice is comparable to a combination of the likes of both the Disney short Paperman (2012), Dreamwork's film adaption of Dog Man (2025) and especially Blue Sky's The Peanuts Movie (2015). Don Oriolo joined the film as producer in November 2024.
Music[]
In June 2026, it was reported that John Debney would compose the film's score.
Release[]
Felix the Cat was theatrically released by Universal Pictures on October 30, 2026. Other territories such as Australia and Asia received the film between November and December 2026.
Home media[]
Felix the Cat was first released on digital download on January 5, 2027, and was first released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on February 12, 2017.
Reception[]
Box office[]
Felix the Cat grossed $112.8 million in the United States and Canada and $61.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $174.4 million, against a production budget of $56 million. It made $14 million on its first day and $58.1 million in its opening weekend, finishing first at the box office. The film grossed $36.2 million in its second weekend, $14.2 million in its third and $4.3 million in its fourth.
Critical response[]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 90% based on 158 reviews and an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "With a unique plot and faithful cast of characters, Felix the Cat has successfully brought the most iconic cartoon character to newer generations, even those born a century after his creation." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 73 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.