One Of Netflix's Best Animated Movies Ever Is Finally Getting A Sequel

If you were among the millions who watched "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" back in 2021, found it to be one of the best animated movies in some time, and promptly spent the next few years wondering when the heck we'd ever get a sequel ... this is for you. The original animated movie survived a series of pandemic delays, an abrupt acquisition by Netflix from Sony, and even a bizarre title change (don't worry, executives ended up seeing reason and changed it back from the bland-sounding "Connected") before going on to snag an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. Now, four years later, we're finally getting the news that a sequel is officially in the works from much of the same creative team as the first movie.

In a scoop by Variety (and subsequently confirmed by Netflix on social media), we now know that "The Mitchells vs. the Machines 2" is now set for a long-awaited rematch. The follow-up film will come from directors Guillermo Martinez and JP Sans, the former of whom was credited as Head of Story on the original film and the latter of whom co-directed the recent "The Bad Guys 2." (Mika Rianda, who directed the original, will serve as an EP here.) While Martinez will be stepping into the director's chair (so to speak) for the first time, he'll be joined by a veteran screenwriting duo: Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, the minds behind animated hits such as "Bob's Burgers" and "The Great North."

Though the story about a regular family caught up in the wildest robot apocalypse imaginable felt like a satisfying and complete journey, there'll be more where that came from — and we couldn't be more thrilled.

Worst family of all time, or just the coolest? Either way, it should be a treat to see them (attempt to) save the day all over again. "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" sequel is officially a go, with Variety reporting that production is expected to begin in early 2026. No release date has yet been announced, and ditto for any casting announcements, but it's reasonable to assume that much of the original cast will be back to reprise their roles. The 2021 animated gem starred the voice talents of Danny McBride as family patriarch Rick, Maya Rudolph as his wife Linda, Mike Rianda as chaotic little brother Aaron, and Abbi Jacobson as their eldest Katie during a family road trip that goes horribly awry. The movie earned instant acclaim and ended up on countless end-of-year lists, praising the animated effort for its visual style, humor, and sharply-written story.

Now, the sequel will finally have an opportunity to see if lightning can strike twice. The wunderkind pair of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, producers on the first movie, will be back in the same role once more. Meanwhile, Sony and Netflix's original licensing agreement will once again come into play here, as well. Netflix famously swooped in to acquire "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" for the hefty price of over $100 million, a shrewd move that only resulted in what was the streamer's biggest animated movie ever at the time. Variety notes that the two partners will undergo "a more collaborative partnership" the second time through, which likely means a more equal share of both budget and profits.

In any case, grab your Doug the Pug merch and hang with us as we await further updates.