A new animated Barbie movie is in development, with it finally bringing animated Barbie to the big screen as the sequel to Margot Robbie’s live-action hit continues development. 2023’s live-action Barbie movie reinvigorated the Barbie movie franchise after years of direct-to-video films, and an animated Barbie movie unlike any other is Mattel’s response to Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s smash hit success.

According to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Mattel Studios is teaming up with Illumination Entertainment to make an animated Barbie movie. This theatrically released Barbie film will be the first animated Barbie movie to hit theaters, making it an exciting upgrade from the plethora of other Barbie flicks. ᴅᴇᴀᴅline also reports that the animated film will be distributed by Universal Pictures.

Nothing is yet known about the story or creatives behind Illumination’s Barbie movie, but fans can expect a star-studded cast based on the studio’s previous works. This animated Barbie movie also comes as Mattel is rapidly increasing its movie output, with projects based on Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, H๏τ 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 Illumination Barbie movie is clearly a response to the live-action success from 2023, as years of animated Barbie movies have been released without hitting theaters. Mattel obviously has a lot more confidence in the Barbie brand thanks to Barbie‘s mᴀssive box office success in 2023, and this could be the start of an animated franchise.

While no release date for the animated Barbie movie has been provided yet, it is likely that it will release in 2027 or beyond. Illumination currently only has two animated films slated, those being The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 on April 3, 2026 and Minions 3 on July 1, 2026. So, Barbie probably 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 mᴀssive box-office hits makes it an obvious pick for Mattel Studios’ Barbie movie, and after the success of the Margot Robbie version, this will undoubtedly be another one. Illumination has already proven that it can successfully adapt mᴀssive brands like Dr. Seuss and Super Mario, and Barbie is next in line.

One concern is that this new animated Barbie movie could conflict with the sequel to the live-action film. If they release around the same time, the respective Barbie movies could cannibalize each other’s box office returns. However, if Mattel Studios properly plans their release date, one Barbie movie will drop right as fans are missing the last one.