October 22, 2025 | By Lisa Hatzenbeller (Oscar Obsessed ADHD)

Animated contenders are tough to pin down this early, especially when over half the category hasn’t even hit wide release yet. Buzz is building fast. Some are surging out of film festivals, while others are poised to dominate the holiday box office.

This year’s Animated Feature race stands out for another reason: its international scope. More than half of my top seven predictions were produced or co-produced outside the United States. That shift reflects both the rise of global animation powerhouses and the expanding international voting body within the Academy, a combination that’s starting to reshape how we define frontrunners, even in categories like animation.

Below, we break down each contender with quick background on the filmmakers, standout voice performances, and why they might be headed for Oscar gold.

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#5. Arco

A magical and beautifully animated journey through time, Arco follows a 10-year-old boy living in the peaceful year 2932. But when he uses a rainbow as a portal and accidentally travels back to the year 2075, he discovers a world in crisis. Teaming up with a young girl named Iris and her trusted robot caretaker Mikki, the two embark on a heartfelt quest to send Arco home. Along the way, they just might save the planet.

The film is directed by French comic book artist and animator Ugo Bienvenu. The English-language dub features a standout voice cast led by Natalie Portman, who also produced the film, alongside Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Mark Ruffalo, Andy Samberg, and Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers. It had its world premiere in the Special Screenings section at Cannes and has continued wowing audiences on the film festival circuit.

With a whimsical time-travel device, vibrant animation, and a star-studded English dub cast, Arco could connect with voters in a big way. It has both emotional pull, visual imagination, and a child’s perspective on planetary crisis, it could charm its way into a nomination, especially with Neon behind the campaign.

🎬 Director: Ugo Bienvenu  
📣 Voice Cast (English Dub): Natalie Portman, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Mark Ruffalo, Andy Samberg, and Flea (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers)
🏛️ Distributor: Neon
📅 Status: Theater  |  Nov. 14
▶️ Watch Trailer

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#4. Elio

The story centers on 11-year-old Elio, an orphaned misfit who accidentally beams himself into space and is mistaken for Earth’s ambassador by a council of aliens. It’s classic Pixar; a blend of identity, wonder, family feels, and a bold alien, sci-fi twist. What does set Elio apart is its heart. It’s more than a space adventure with aliens, it’s a deeply personal tale of self-worth, creativity, and belonging.

Director Adrian Molina, who co-directed Coco, makes his solo debut here, bringing cultural nuance and emotional insight to the story. Young voice actor Yonas Kibreab leads the cast as Elio, joined by Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña as his aunt, Olga. The film was released in theaters on June 20 and is now streaming on Disney+.

Despite the film’s dismal performance at the box office, only making $4.3 million more than its $150 million budget, I still see this one making it into the Oscar conversation. Its imaginative premise, a story that resonates inside each of us, and Pixar’s pedigree, Elio has all the ingredients to score a nomination…just not a win.

🎬 Director(s): Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafin, and Domee Shi
📣 Voice Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Yonas Kibreab, Remy Edgerly, Brad Garrett
🏛️ Distributor: Disney/Pixar
📅 Status: Streaming on Disney+
▶️ Watch Trailer

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#3. Ne Zha 2

Ne Zha 2 goes beyond a sequel; it’s a box-office breaking, critically acclaimed phenomenon. The story picks up right after the first film, following Ne Zha, a young boy born with the power of the fiery Demon Pill. After catastrophe strikes, the souls of Ne Zha and his rival Ao Bing are saved, but their bodies are destroyed. What follows is a mythic journey that expands Chinese folklore, deepens character arcs, and delivers breathtaking action.

Released in China on January 29, 2025, the first day of Lunar New Year, Ne Zha 2 has grossed over $2.2 billion worldwide on a modest $80 million budget. It now holds the titles of highest-grossing animated film, highest-grossing non-English language film, and the first animated feature ever to cross the $2 billion threshold.

In the U.S., A24 surprised many by releasing the English dub on August 24, led by Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh as Lady Yin. Director Jiaozi returns to the helm, continuing his reign as a master of culturally rich and emotionally resonant Chinese animation. With global box office dominance and a culturally rich storyline, Ne Zha 2 is more than just an animated success. It’s a legitimate Oscar contender. I believe China could even submit it for International Feature, just as Latvia did last year with Flow. Either way, its cross-cultural appeal gives it an edge with the Academy’s increasingly global voting body.

🎬 Director: Jiaozi
📣 Voice Cast (English Dub): Michelle Yeoh, Crystal Lee, Griffin Puatu, Vincent Rodriguez III
🏛️ Distributor: A24
📅 Status: Video on Demand (VOD)
▶️ Watch Trailer

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#2. Zootopia 2

The sequel to 2017’s Oscar-winning Zootopia brings back the beloved duo of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, now on the trail of Zootopia’s mysterious new resident: a reptile named Gary De’Snake. Their search uncovers a hidden underclass of reptilian citizens, forcing the city’s heroes to reckon with systemic injustice once again.

Disney’s got its holiday box office crown circled in red. Zootopia 2 opens November 26, and it’s expected to dominate. The film reunites director Jared Bush with Byron Howard, who previously co-helmed Encanto, another Oscar winner. While Howard already won for Zootopia, Bush wasn’t credited as a producer on that one. This could be his chance to join the winners’ club.

The voice cast brings back Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Bonnie Hunt, and Shakira, while adding Macaulay Culkin, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Fortune Feimster. With sharp writing, crowd-pleasing energy, and a timely social message, Zootopia 2 has all the ingredients for another Oscar run.

So why isn’t it my number one? Recent wins in this category have favored more international titles. And with the Academy’s global voting body continuing to grow, it might be harder for a major Disney title to take the win, even one this big.

🎬 Director(s): Jared Bush and Byron Howard
📣 Voice Cast: Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, Bonnie Hunt, Shakira, Macaulay Culkin
🏛️ Distributor: Disney
📅 Status: Theater  |  Nov. 26
▶️ Watch Trailer

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#1. KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters is more than an animated feature; it’s a global phenomenon. The story follows members of the elite K‑pop girl group HUNTR/X who double as demon hunters when they aren’t dominating the charts. Their biggest challenge arrives with a rival boy band intent on tearing down the world’s protective barrier. Stylized like a high‑octane music video and rooted in Korean folklore, this film delivers an original concept packed with pop culture energy.

Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film is produced by Sony Pictures Animation in partnership with Netflix. The voice cast includes Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji‑young Yoo, Ahn Hyo‑seop, Yunjin Kim and Ken Jeong among others. Released on June 20, 2025, on Netflix, it shattered streaming records and secured a sing‑along theater run in the U.S. The soundtrack cracked global charts, and the animated musical has become a visible contender heading into awards season.

With its record‑breaking viewership, strong international appeal, and fresh take on animation’s storytelling possibilities, KPop Demon Hunters checks all the boxes for an Oscar nomination. Its presence on Netflix also gives it accessibility and visibility, two factors that matter when assessing awards momentum in the animated category. For these reasons, it currently leads my predictions, though a few strong festival contenders are closing in fast.

🎬 Director(s): Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans
📣 Voice Cast (English Dub): Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo‑seop, Ken Jeong, May Hong, Ji‑young Yoo
🏛️ Distributor: Netflix
📅 Status: Now Streaming
▶️ Watch Trailer

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With the Top 5 locked in, two more animated features are hovering just outside the main lineup. Both have strong creative teams and growing festival or box-office buzz that could push them into contention as the season unfolds.

#6. Scarlet

From visionary filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda (Mirai) comes Scarlet, a time-bending animated adventure about a medieval princess, vengeance, and rebirth. After her father’s murder, Scarlet finds herself gravely injured in the “Otherworld,” a strange limbo between life and death. There she meets a young man from our time, and together they confront the possibility of breaking the cycle of anger and finding new purpose. The film reconnects Hosoda with the highest ambitions of animation: bold visuals, emotional stakes, and genre daring.

The film is directed by Japanese animator and filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda, who earned an Oscar nomination in 2019 Best Animated Feature category for Mirai. That history places Scarlet in strong creative hands, a filmmaker already proven to draw awards attention.
Scarlet premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2025. It opens in Japan on November 21 and will be released in the U.S. through Sony Pictures Classics in a limited awards-qualifying run on December 12 before a wide rollout on February 6, 2026.

Produced by Studio Chizu and distributed by Sony, the film’s mythic scope, international pedigree, and serious campaign backing make it a strong contender for both Animated Feature and global recognition.

🎬 Director: Mamoru Hosoda
📣 Voice Cast: Mana Ashida, Masaki Okada, Koji Yakusho
🏛️ Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
📅 Status: Theater  |  December 12 (wide U.S. release Feb. 6, 2026)
▶️ Watch Trailer

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#7. Little Amélie or The Character of Rain

Adapted from Amélie Nothomb’s autobiographical novel, The Character of Rain (Little Amélie) follows a Belgian girl born in Japan and traces her childhood from birth to the age of three. For young Amélie, the world is peaceful and mysterious, until a miraculous encounter with chocolate ignites her curiosity and marks the true beginning of her life. Through her growing attachment to the family’s housekeeper, Nishio-san, she begins to explore nature, emotion, and the hidden truths beneath her family’s calm post-war life.

Co-directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, the film is brought to life in a watercolor-inspired animation style that flows like memory itself. It premiered in the Special Screenings section at the Cannes Film Festival and later won the Audience Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Its North American premiere took place at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it continued to earn praise for emotional depth and fluid visual storytelling.

With its quiet tone, international roots, and luminous art style, The Character of Rain has quickly become one of the season’s most heartfelt animated contenders. It opens in U.S. theaters on November 7 and could easily find its way into the conversation for Best Animated Feature. With its quiet power and cross-cultural roots, it has emerged as a heartfelt contender in the Animated Feature race.

🎬 Director(s): Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han
📣 Voice Cast: Loïse Charpentier, Victoria Grosbois, Yumi Fujimori, Cathy Cerda
🏛️ Distributor: GKIDS
📅 Status: Theater  |  Nov. 7
▶️ Watch Trailer

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With awards season heating up, this year’s animated contenders showcase some of the most diverse storytelling and artistry yet. From global blockbusters to festival favorites, the 2026 race for Best Animated Feature already proves how far the medium has come. The next few months will reveal which of these films can keep their momentum as audiences, critics, and voters catch up…and why animation remains one of cinema’s most emotional and creative storytelling arenas.

Want to follow the shifts as new releases hit theaters and festival buzz builds? Stay tuned to The Main Character Effect and watch for updates to the upcoming Awards Season Tracker, coming soon to the site.

🎬 Which of these seven would get your vote if the Oscars were today? Drop your predictions on X or join the conversation on today’s Instagram post.