All the best family movies coming to Aussie screens in 2022
Pass the popcorn, these flicks are a must watch!
Remember when we were kids and would get excited at the handful of new release family films that would come out each year? These days kids get to experience that feeling all year round.
In 2021 the list of big-budget family film extravaganzas in cinemas was incredible and 2022 looks to be even better!
From live action feature films to mind-blowing animations, we’re in for a treat this year.
Get the popcorn ready, here’s a round-up of what’s coming and when …
All the best family movies coming to screens in 2022
(plus the ones that we loved in 2021)
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
In cinemas Boxing Day
Based on the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a live-action / CGI musical comedy that brings this beloved character to a new, global audience.
Starring Shawn Mendes, Javier Bardem and Constance Wu.
WATCH: The epic new trailer for ‘Lyle Lyle Crocodile’
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank hits cinemas these September school holidays
The voice-talent alone is enough to make this movie a must-see!
A hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (voiced by Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map.
With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, Hank must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day.
The only problem… cats hate dogs!
DC League of Super-Pets
In cinemas September 15
Featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Marc Maron, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz and Keanu Reeves!
In DC League of Super-Pets, Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side.
When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack – Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel – to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the Super Heroes.
Academy Award®-winning Avatar is returning to cinemas
In cinemas September 22
James Cameron’s Academy Award®-winning 2009 epic adventure Avatar, the most successful film of all time, returns to cinemas September 22 in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range!
Watch the trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder
In cinemas July 6
Chris Hemsworth reprises his role of Thor.
In this flick, we see the space viking hero and thunderous Norse god embark on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace.
However, his retirement gets interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods.
Natalie Portman also returns as Jane, Thor’s ex-girlfriend with superhero powers now of her own.
WATCH: The trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder starring Chris Hemsworth
Minions: The Rise of Gru
In cinemas June 23
This June, from the biggest animated franchise in history and global cultural phenomenon, comes the untold story of one 12-year-old’s dream to become the world’s greatest supervillain, in Minions: The Rise of Gru.
In the heart of the 1970s, amid a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, Gru (Oscar nominee Steve Carell) is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making backup from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob and Otto – a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please – deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons and pull off their first missions.
When the Vicious 6 oust their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar winner Alan Arkin), Gru interviews to become their newest member. It doesn’t go well (to say the least), and only gets worse after Gru outsmarts them and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. On the run, Gru will turn to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles himself, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.
Starring: Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Russell Brand, with Julie Andrews and Alan Arkin
WATCH: The new trailer for Minions: The Rise of Gru starring some of Hollywood’s biggest names!
WATCH: The new trailer for Jurassic World Dominion has dropped and WOAH!
Experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe.
From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live – and hunt – alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.
Watch the new trailer below …
The trailer for Puss in Boots: the Last Wish has dropped and DreamWorks have outdone themselves!
In cinemas December 26
This summer, everyone’s favourite leche-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline returns.
For the first time in more than a decade, DreamWorks Animation presents a new adventure in the Shrek universe as daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll.
Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Getting those lives back will send Puss in Boots on his grandest quest yet.
Academy Award® nominee Antonio Banderas returns as the voice of the notorious PiB as he embarks on an epic journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives. But with only one life left, Puss will have to humble himself and ask for help from his former partner and nemesis: the captivating Kitty Soft Paws (Oscar® nominee Salma Hayek).
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – in cinemas April 7
Harry Potter fans, rejoice!
Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world.
Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?
Watch the trailer below …
The Bad Guys, coming to cinemas March 31
Being BAD never looked so GOOD!
In the new action comedy from DreamWorks Animation, based on the New York Times best-selling book series by Australian author, Aaron Blabey, a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws are about to attempt their most challenging con yet – becoming model citizens.
Nobody has ever failed so hard at trying to be good as The Bad Guys.
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Lilly Singh and Alex Borstein.
Watch the trailer below …
Jurassic World Dominion coming to cinemas June 16, 2022
Experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time.
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe.
From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live – and hunt – alongside humans all over the world.
Watch the trailer below …
Disney Pixar’s Lightyear coming to cinemas on June 16, 2022
This sci-fi action flick tells the story of Buzz Lightyear –the hero who inspired the toy – as we follow him on an intergalactic space adventure.
Actor Chris Evans, known for playing Captain America, voices Buzz.
“Buzz’s world was always something I was excited about,” director Angus MacLane shared in a statement.
“In Toy Story, there seemed to be this incredible backstory to him being a Space Ranger that’s only touched upon, and I always wanted to explore that world further. So my Lightyear pitch was, ‘What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?’ I wanted to see that movie. And now I’m lucky enough to get to make it.”
WATCH the epic Lightyear trailer below.
Check out the new trailer for Sonic The Hedgehog 2, exclusive to cinemas from March 31, 2022
The world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in Sonic The Hedgehog 2.
After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero.
His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations.
Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
The film stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, and Jim Carrey returning, alongside new additions Shemar Moore, with Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails.
WATCH: The Sonic The Hedgehog 2 movie trailer below!
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ All-New Original Film Encanto takes us to Colombia!
Release date: December 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto, is the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto.
The all-new original film features the voice of Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel, an ordinary 15-year-old who’s struggling to find her place in her family. “Mirabel is a really funny, loving character who also deeply yearns for something more,” says Beatriz. “She’s also not afraid to stand up for what she knows is right—something I love and relate to very much.”
WATCH: Disney takes us to Columbia with Encanto below!
Disney And Pixar’s Turning Red
Release date: March 31, 2022
All-new original feature film Turning Red from Pixar Animation Studios is coming!
Director Domee Shi, who won an Oscar® for her 2018 short film, Bao. Young actress Rosalie Chiang lends her voice to Mei Lee, a 13-year-old who suddenly “poofs” into a giant red panda when she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS).
Sandra Oh (The Chair, Killing Eve) voices Mei Lee’s protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, who is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager.
Multiple GRAMMY® Winners Billie Eilish and FINNEAS team up to write songs for the fictional band Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red!
According to Turning Red director Domee Shi, if you set a 13-year-old girl’s coming-of-age story in the early 2000s, it’s pretty much mandatory to include a boy band.
“We needed our character Mei to be obsessed with something that her mum would not approve of,” said Shi.
“Boy bands were the first step into the world of boys for a lot of girls that age. The guys were all super pretty, polished, soft and loving, and they had of way of bringing girls and their besties together. Plus, I thought it’d be really cool to create an animated boy band.”
Enter Pixar’s first-ever boy band, 4*Town.
Filmmakers called on GRAMMY®-winning singer-songwriters Billie Eilish and FINNEAS to write the fictional band’s songs – three in total, including the song Nobody Like U featured in the new trailer.
Watch the new trailer for Turning Red below …
Spider-Man: No Way Home
In cinemas from December 16
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighbourhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a Super Hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jon Favreau, Jacob Batalon with Marisa Tomei.
Sing 2
Released Boxing Day 2021
This holiday season, the new chapter in Illumination’s smash animated franchise returns with big dreams and spectacular hit songs as can-do koala Buster Moon and his all-star cast of animal performers prepare to launch their most dazzling stage extravaganza yet …in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There’s just one hitch: They first have to persuade the world’s most reclusive rock star—played by global music icon Bono, making his animated film debut—to join them.
Clifford The Big Red Dog
Release date: December 30, 2021
When middle-schooler Emily Elizabeth meets a magical animal rescuer (John Cleese) who gifts her a little, red puppy, she never anticipated waking up to find a gigantic hound in her small New York City apartment.
While her single mum is away for business, Emily and her fun but impulsive uncle set out on an adventure that sees our heroes take a bite out of the Big Apple.
Based on the beloved Scholastic book character, Clifford will teach the world how to love big!
WATCH THE TRAILER: Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear is coming and WOW!
Release date: June 2022
The sci-fi action-adventure presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear—the hero who inspired the toy—introducing the legendary Space Ranger who would win generations of fans.
Chris Evans (Knives Out, Avengers: Endgame) lends his voice to Buzz. “The phrase ‘a dream come true’ gets thrown around a lot, but I’ve never meant it more in my life,” says Evans. “Anyone who knows me knows that my love for animated films runs deep. I can’t believe that I get to be a part of the Pixar family and work with these truly brilliant artists who tell stories unlike anyone else. Watching them work is nothing short of magic. I pinch myself every day.”
Annie Award-winning director and veteran Pixar animator Angus MacLane, who co-directed 2016’s Finding Dory, helms Lightyear. Galyn Susman (Toy Story That Time Forgot short) produces.
Uncover the past. Protect the future.
Watch the new international trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife below!
Release date: New Year’s Day 2022
From director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman, comes the next chapter in the original Ghostbusters universe.
In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mum and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.
Starring Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace and Paul Rudd.
Directed by Jason Reitman.
Watch the trailer below …
Paw Patrol: The Movie Is Finally Unleashed In Cinemas
In cinemas now!
The PAW Patrol is on a roll! When their biggest rival, Humdinger, becomes Mayor of nearby Adventure City and starts wreaking havoc, Ryder and everyone’s favourite heroic pups kick into high gear to face the challenge head on. While one pup must face his past in Adventure City, the team finds help from a new ally, the savvy dachshund Liberty. Together, armed with exciting new gadgets and gear, the PAW Patrol fights to save the citizens of Adventure City! Joining the PAW Patrol in their thrilling first big screen adventure are members from the original series’ cast along with Iain Armitage, Marsai Martin, Yara Shahidi, Kim Kardashian West, Randall Park, Dax Shepard, with Tyler Perry and Jimmy Kimmel and introducing Will Brisbin.
Check out this new clip (below) from the film with Liberty (Marsai Martin) facing off against Delores (Kim Kardashian West), the trash-talking poodle with oodles of sass.
The Addams Family 2
Released: January 6
Everyone’s favourite spooky family is back in the animated comedy sequel, The Addams Family 2.
In this all new movie we find Morticia and Gomez distraught that their children are growing up, skipping family dinners, and totally consumed with “scream time.”
To reclaim their bond they decide to cram Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester and the crew into their haunted camper and hit the road for one last miserable family vacation. Their adventure across America takes them out of their element and into hilarious run-ins with their iconic cousin, IT, as well as many new kooky characters.
What could possibly go wrong?
Starring the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Kroll, Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, Wallace Shawn, with Snoop Dogg as ‘IT’, with Bette Midler and Bill Hader.
