Animated films are a staple in anyone’s childhood. The worlds that animated films build are something out of our wildest dreams. Possibilities are endless and throughout film history, certain companies have staked their claim on animated films. Disney in particular is known greatly for their work in both Walt Disney Studios and Pixar projects that are designed to visually entice audiences and emotionally break them as well. No matter what your age is, if you are looking for a solid animated film to check out, Disney has always been the place to be.
However, there are a few iconic animated films out there that are shockingly not Disney. Films like Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, and The Land Before Time all utilize a sense of epic adventure and fantasy that audiences gravitate towards. Therefore, when we as an audience find out that films and franchises like those are NOT part of the Disney family, it’s always a shock. Here is a list of 12 animated films that you probably thought were made by Disney, but weren’t.
13 Shrek (2001)
Shrek
- Release Date
- May 18, 2001
- Runtime
- 90
Starting off strong, the Shrek franchise is a set of films that you don’t pay too much attention to, and it is like you were transported into a fairytale. Therefore, thinking that Disney was behind it is an easy and understandable mistake. The Shrek films start off following the life of a monstrous and disgusting ogre named Shrek as he takes a leap of faith to save Princess Fiona from her tower. Along the way, Shrek finds the value of found family and the unexpected blessing of love that changes his life forever.
Recognizable Fairytale Characters That Were Made Popular by Disney
Shrek is a franchise that combines the stories of multiple fairytales and entwines their characters into Shrek’s world. Some recognizable ones are also in Disney, including Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and Robin Hood. For a franchise that leans on the magic and imagination of the world’s most beloved fairytales, the connection to Disney comes up often, even though DreamWorks is behind it all. Stream Shrek on Peacock Premium.
12 How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
When in talks about the best-animated films of all time, there are a handful of Disney films that litter the top of the list. However, among those is the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, which is shockingly NOT a Disney product. How To Train Your Dragon is a story of a young Hiccup who has grown up in a world where dragons are feared, captured, and killed. On one fateful night, Hiccup finds himself befriending a dragon named Toothless. Together, the two fight for a new world where dragons and humans live in harmony, as well as facing new foes and finding new friends.
New-Age Disney-Esque Animation
How To Train Your Dragon, which is a DreamWorks film through and through, has every ingredient for a great Disney film. The entire franchise is wholesome, funny, and adorable. The animation is bright as well as creative. The style of the animation is something that can easily pass as a new-age Disney animated film.
However, the most notable part of this franchise is its breathtaking score. The music in this film is adventurous, epic, and jam-pecked full of life that people of all ages will resonate with, a reputation that Disney has made for itself over the years. Stream How to Train Your Dragon on Prime Video.
11 Despicable Me (2010)
Despicable Me
- Release Date
- July 8, 2010
- Director
- Pierre Coffin , Chris Renaud
- Runtime
- 95
If there is any animated franchise out there that rivals the marketability and mainstream popularity that Disney has done time and time again, it is Universal Pictures’s Despicable Me films. Despicable Me follows the lives of proclaimed supervillain Gru and his Minions when a trio of orphaned Girl Scout sisters hop onto his doorstep selling cookies. After this, Gru’s priorities shift from stealing the moon to making it to dance recitals.
Characters That Would Feel Right at Home in a Disney Movie
Despicable Me is just so bright, colorful, and perfect for the whole family that Disney has to behind it, right? Wrong. Despicable Me established Gru, his girls, and the Minions as one of the most beloved animated characters of all time. The films mix the perfect amount of comedy and emotion to keep your attention from start to end. From silly imagery to characters that you can relate to, Despicable Me has the Disney animated formula down. Stream Despicable Me on Peacock Premium.
10 Coraline (2009)
Coraline
- Release Date
- February 5, 2009
- Director
- Henry Selick
- Runtime
- 100
As much as we can praise Disney for its ability to create long-lasting franchises, standalones are also appreciated. Disney is no stranger to the stop-motion animation style of film. With projects like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Frankenweeie in their back pocket, wouldn’t you also go to your grave swearing that Coraline was part of the Disney family? Coraline is a stop-motion horror fantasy film that came out in 2009. The film follows a young girl named Coraline who stumbles upon a portal to an alternate dimension where her family is replaced by an idealistic, mirrored version of themselves with button eyes.
Disney Does Dark Fantasy Extremely Well
Disney does creepy very well. Therefore, it is easy to think that one of the best horror stop-motion films out there was produced by them. Coraline, despite its fantasy elements and comforting sense of nostalgia, is a Universal Pictures film. Coraline comes across like a sort of fever dream that takes you and an incredible and creepy journey. It follows themes about family and exhibits a level of artistry that rivals the best Disney films out there. Stream Coraline on Max.
9 Ice Age (2002)
Ice Age
- Release Date
- March 10, 2002
- Runtime
- 81
Disclaimer: Although Disney has taken over the new installment in this franchise, Ice Age was originally produced by 20th Century Studios. Ice Age is a comedy adventure franchise that came out with its first movie in 2002. The film follows some of Earth’s older inhabitants as they face the ever-looming reality of the ice age. From the hilarious Scrat and his nut to a wooly mammoth named Manny, and Diego the saber-toothed tiger, this film is animated animal fun to its fullest.
Fitting for the Disney Brand
Honestly, the fact that Disney took over this franchise should say enough about how it fits into the Disney brand. The Ice Age franchise dives head-first into creating storylines that are character-driven. These characters all have their own place in this franchise and as their stories continue, they grow even more lovable to their dedicated audience. Stream Ice Age on Disney+.
8 The Swan Princess (1994)
The Swan Princess is a musical fantasy animated film series that began in 1994. The first film starts like a classic fairytale where a princess and a prince fall in love. In some weird reverse frog prince plot, the beautiful Princess Odette is turned into a swan by a magician. In a race to reverse the spell, the princess goes on a journey that elicits the help of some fellow animals.
It Looks and Feels Like a Disney Film
What makes The Swan Princess Disney-coded comes down to how it looks on screen. Fairytales are a tried and true place to start for films like this. However, the 2D animation style utilized in The Swan Princess screams classic Disney. Without doing any research, The Swan Princess looks and feels like a forgotten and hidden Disney treasure. Rent The Swan Princess on Apple TV.
7 The Land Before Time (1988)
The Land Before Time is a long film franchise that is nostalgia brought to the screen. The beloved franchise put out its debut film in 1988. Audiences are brought into Little Foot’s world. When separated from his family, Little Foot finds refuge in other isolated dinosaurs that band together in their journey to the Great Valley.
One of the Saddest Deaths in Animation
Disney has always known how to pull at our heartstrings. If there was another non-Disney scene out there that encompasses the devastation of Mufasa’s death in The Lion King, it has to be the death of Little Foot’s mother in The Land Before Time. Also, the sense of adventure in this film along with the coming-of-age character development, brings The Land Before Time franchise into Disney-levels of great. Rent The Land Before Time on Apple TV.
6 The Iron Giant (1999)
The 1999 sci-fi action film The Iron Giant is definitely not a Disney film. This Warner Bros. project follows the budding friendship between a young boy named Hogarth and an alien robot that crashed in 1957’s Maine. With the government threatened by the presence of the extraterrestrial machine, Hogarth is tasked with defending the robot from destruction.
A Beautiful Display of Animated Friendship
The Iron Giant can easily be mistaken for a Disney film. The themes introduced in this beautiful story are told so intricately yet so fun and wholesome that all demographics can enjoy it. There is unwavering loyalty, bravery, determination, and friendship that carries this film as one of the best animated film adaptations out there. If you did not grow up with The Iron Giant, it’s never too late. Stream The Iron Giant on Paramount+.
5 The Polar Express (2004)
The Polar Express came out 20 years ago and follows a young boy whose Christmas Eve does not go the way he thought. In awaiting the arrival of Santa, the young boy gets awoken by a train known as The Polar Express set to take him to the North Pole. In a split decision, the boy hops on the train and embarks on a journey that tests his ability to believe in the magic of the holidays.
Now a Christmas Classic
Childhood wonder and magic is something Disney has created for decades through film and TV. The Polar Express takes that sense of adventure and endless possibilities and inserts it into a Christmas film. The entire plot of this film has the right level of originality and creativity and is believable that Disney is responsible. However, the credits for this 2004 holiday masterpiece go to Warner Bros. Stream The Polar Express on AMC+.
4 Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Paramount’s Kung Fu Panda is a masterpiece of a franchise. The first film came out in 2008 and follows the panda Po, the son of a noodle shop owner as he gets fatefully chosen as the Dragon Warrior set to save the entire world from a vengeful Tai Lung. However, Po has no kung fu training whatsoever. Through this, we watch Po find his inner warrior and defy the stereotypes and expectations placed on him. The highly anticipated fourth film is set to come out this year.
Po Is an Iconic Animated Character
Po is such a relatable and lovable main character. His entire journey is one that has audiences rooting for this success with every film added to the franchise. Disney knows how to develop characters that can carry a franchise. Po is one of those characters that stands out no matter how many films are added to the franchise. Kung Fu Panda is timeless in its storytelling and will forever be one of the most underrated animated film franchises out there. Stream Kung Fu Panda on Peacock Premium.
3 Shark Tale (2004)
Shark Tale
- Release Date
- September 20, 2004
- Runtime
- 92
2004’s Shark Tale has Disney written all over it. However, it doesn’t. Shark Tale is an animated family comedy film that follows a small fish named Oscar who wants to build up his reputation, to become part of something greater. In this journey, he decides to take credit for the death of a shark mob boss’ death. However, now that Oscar is known as the “Sharkslayer,” he has become the number one target for the shark’s father.
A Colorful, Teaching Film
Fun, bright, and animated animals will always appeal to younger audiences. Shark Tale‘s animation style is incredibly unique. That paired with this level of adventure and character development is something that fits right into the Disney spectrum. Stream Shark Tale on Hulu.
2 Happy Feet (2006)
Happy Feet
- Release Date
- November 16, 2006
- Runtime
- 108
Adorable, beautiful, and singing penguins will brighten up anyone’s day. Happy Feet is a comedy musical film that came out in 2006. The film follows a young penguin named Mumble. In the world of the penguins, they require the tool of their voice to attract a mate, a tool that Mumble lacks. However, where one’s weaknesses are, there are also their strengths. Although Mumble can’t carry a tune, his tap dancing skills might just save the day.
Disney-Esque Music and Dancing
Happy Feet has dancing, music, and talking penguins. What elicits more family fun than that? Disney’s musical backlog is the best there is. However, Happy Feet has a solid storyline, great songs, and dance numbers that will have you wanting to get out of your seat to join them. Do not underestimate Warner Bros. and their ability to make a great animated musical. Rent Happy Feet on Apple TV.
1 Sing (2016)
Sing
- Release Date
- November 23, 2016
- Director
- Garth Jennings
- Runtime
- 110
Speaking of animated musicals, we have Sing. The first film came out in 2016 and the sequel came out in 2021. The first film follows a passionate and ambitious koala named Buster Moon as he tries to save an old and beloved theater. In one last-ditch attempt at bringing it back to its former glory, he hosts an epic singing competition that brings together 5 incredible contestants.
A Star-Studded Cast
The greatest part of this franchise is the star-studded cast. With a cast consisting of some of the biggest names in the industry such as Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Teron Egerton, Matthew McConaughey, Nick Kroll, and Tori Kelly, Sing was set up for success. From the voice acting to the musical performances, Sing is a well-rounded animated franchise that deserves its flowers.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
