DreamWorks Animation, the Oscar-winning studio behind the Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls, The Boss Baby, Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda franchises, returns to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this June with a lineup that celebrates bold artistic expression, genre innovation and the studio’s continued evolution as a creative force in animation.
This year’s presentations reflect the studio’s ongoing momentum under the leadership of DreamWorks Animation President Margie Cohn, combining celebrated franchise storytelling with bold original visions. The studio arrives at Annecy following an extraordinary streak of three consecutive No. 1 openings at the box office in under a year with Kung Fu Panda 4, The Wild Robot and Dog Man.
“At DreamWorks, we’re committed to telling stories that showcase the creativity and originality of our filmmakers,” Margie Cohn says. “We take pride in fostering an environment where artists are encouraged to take risks and explore new approaches to storytelling. Annecy has always been a celebration of that spirit, and we’re honored to return this year to share our latest work with the global animation community.”
On Wednesday, June 11 at 2:30 p.m. at the Bonlieu, Petite Salle, DreamWorks Animation will present an exclusive special presentation of The Bad Guys 2 (in theaters August 1). The highly anticipated sequel to the 2022 global box office hit reunites the original film’s creative team — director Pierre Perifel, producer Damon Ross, co-director JP Sans and Oscar-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton — who will offer audiences a first look at the film’s development, artistic evolution and what’s next for the beloved crew of animal outlaws. 2022’s The Bad Guys marked a creative shift for the studio, introducing a fresh, genre-bending take on the heist movie through stylish, hand-drawn-inspired visuals and whip-smart comedy — an approach that continues to shape the sequel.
On Thursday, June 12 at 9:30 a.m. at the MIFA Campus, the festival will host a masterclass with four-time Academy Award nominee Chris Sanders, director of The Wild Robot, The Croods, How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch. In this featured spotlight, Sanders will reflect on his multi-decade impact on the animation landscape, his creative process and his return to DreamWorks Animation. Sanders will also serve on the festival’s official short films jury, marking his continued involvement with the festival following his Annecy debut in 2024.
Then, on Thursday, June 12 at 10:15 p.m., DreamWorks will present a special outdoor screening of the three-time Academy Award nominated The Wild Robot at Le Pâquier Lakeside Park as part of its signature open-air programming. The screening will be introduced by the film’s director, Chris Sanders, and follows the film’s rapturous reception at last year’s festival, where Sanders debuted early footage to two standing ovations. Since its September 2024 release, The Wild Robot has gone on to win more than 85 industry awards, including nine Annie Awards, the Critics Choice Award for Best Animated Feature and the Producers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Animated Theatrical Motion Picture. The screening marks a full-circle celebration of the film’s success and Sanders’ triumphant return to the studio after more than a decade.
Following the August release of The Bad Guys 2, DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming slate includes Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie (September 26, 2025); Forgotten Island (September 25, 2026), an original adventure from the team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; and the highly anticipated return of the iconic ogre in Shrek 5 (December 23, 2026).
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