Parents and children can look forward to a year filled with family fun in 2026. Animated adventures, favorite characters, and new stories will appear throughout the year.
Families will have more than one way to enjoy age-appropriate entertainment, whether in theatres or on streaming services.
Parents can track upcoming release dates and plan trips to the movies or movie nights at home. From adventures to touching stories, there will be many choices for children of all ages.
1. Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat
Release Date: November 6, 2026
The famous Dr. Seuss character comes back in an animated version. This time the film is animated, not action-based like the 2003 version. That means The Cat in the Hat is brought to life through animation, with makeup and actors. This change makes the story easier for kids to enjoy. Comedian Bill Hader does the voice of the Cat.
MPAA Rating: PG
2. Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol
Release Date: November 13, 2026
Paramount’s take on the Dickens classic has a serious cast: Johnny Depp, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley and Ian McKellen. The story includes ghosts and this version leans into them. It’s a holiday pick for families with older kids rather than a toddler outing, so read a parent review before you book tickets.
MPAA Rating: Not yet confirmed
3. Hexed
Release Date: November 25, 2026
Disney Animation’s Thanksgiving-week release follows an awkward teenager who discovers that the quirks that make her feel different might actually be magical powers. Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand directed, with Josie Trinidad co-directing. Hailee Steinfeld, Rashida Jones, Tracey Ullman and Stephen Fry lead the voice cast. It opens the day before Thanksgiving, so book tickets early.
MPAA Rating: Not yet confirmed
4. A Proud Family Wizmas
Release Date: November 14, 2026
This holiday special lands on Disney+ and brings the Proud family back for the season. If you grew up on the original series, it’ll excite the parents more than the kids, which is a decent reason to watch it together. For the youngest viewers, Disney+ also has a SuperKitties Thanksgiving special on November 6.
Rating: Not yet confirmed
5. The Angry Birds Movie (Re-release)
Release Date: November 13, 2026
The 2016 original returns for a 10th-anniversary run in select theatres. It’s the one where Red, an outcast with a temper, is the only bird who sees the green pigs for what they are. Jason Sudeikis and Josh Gad lead the cast. It’s a good warm-up before The Angry Birds Movie 3 arrives on December 23.
MPAA Rating: PG
6. Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Release Date: November 26, 2026 (Netflix)
Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker in his fourth solo outing as the web-slinger, alongside Zendaya and Mark Ruffalo. Destin Daniel Cretton directed it for Sony and Marvel Studios and it played in theatres from July 31. It’s a big action movie of about two and a half hours, so it suits tweens and older kids better than younger ones. If you missed it on the big screen, this is the easy way to catch up over the Thanksgiving weekend.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action/violence and some language
7. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Release Date: November 20, 2026
This one is for the teens in the house, not the whole family. Francis Lawrence directs the prequel that follows sixteen-year-old Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games. The rating cites strong violence, bloody images and disturbing material, so parents of younger teens should check it first.
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Instead of choosing one film to satisfy everyone, create a pattern: a special film during the week, a catch-up film on Friday and movies on the weekend.
Choose one of these three films for the youngest family member, so no one has to sit through 90 minutes of a film they didn’t choose.
