The September 2021 line-up of new animated series and movies leans heavily on popular franchises, from the latest CGI reboots of 1980s toy commercial cartoons to the first Japanese anime adaptation of one of the most legendary movie series of all time. Amidst these familiar faces are some new animated shows for adults as well as short films the whole family can enjoy.
Here's a list of the animated series, movies and short films animation fans will want to put on their watch lists for September.
New Pixar Shorts
Disney+ will be releasing several Pixar shorts this September. First up on Sept. 1 is Dug Days, a series of five shorts about the dog from Up, directed by the original movie's co-director Bob Peterson. Then there are two new SparkShorts: Twenty Something, a 2D short directed by Aphton Corbin, premieres on Sept. 10, and Louis Gonzales' Nona, about a wrestling-loving grandma, comes out a week later on Sept. 17.
Those interested in learning about the creative process behind these short films will also want to watch the feature-length behind-the-scenes documentary A Spark Story when it premieres on Disney+ Sept. 24.
Q-Force
Seemingly the whole internet decided to hate Q-Force based on its first trailer, but the second trailer provides a clearer indication of the show's intentions to infuse the super-spy genre with a campy yet ultimately positive LGBTQ+ perspective. If this show, made primarily by LGBTQ+ writers, actors and artists, succeeds at what it's trying to do rather than falling into offensiveness as people initially assumed it was, one hopes people will give it a chance.
Q-Force stars Sean Hayes, Gary Cole, David Harbour, Patti Harrison, Laurie Metcalf, Matt Rogers, Wanda Sykes and Gabe Liedman. It premieres on Netflix on Sept. 2.
Adventure Time: Distant Lands - Wizard City
Wizard City, the final hour-long special in the four-part Adventure Time: Distant Lands series, has a lot to live up to after the one-two emotional gut punches of Obsidian and Together Again. Perhaps it's best to go in with no expectations beyond having a good time with Peppermint Butler, Ooo's creepiest candy person who is now a child studying wizardry, and let Adam Muto and the rest of the Adventure Time crew surprise us. This special no longer has the pressure of being the last Adventure Time animation ever now that the Fionna and Cake series has been greenlit.
Adventure Time: Distant Lands - Wizard City premieres on HBO Max on Sept. 2.
Teenage Euthanasia
Adult Swim can't live on Rick and Morty alone, so as its rights to the FOX animation library continue to expire, the adult comedy/animation network is investing in more half-hour shows with potential for relatively mainstream success. Teenage Euthanasia is a family sitcom with a darker edge. Euthanasia Fantasy (her friends call her "Annie") lives at the Tender Endings Funeral Home, and her single mother Trophy is now a resurrected corpse seeking a second chance.
Created by Alissa Nutting and Alyson Levy, Teenage Euthanasia stars Maria Bamford, Jo Firestone, Tim Robinson and Bebe Neuwirth. A preview episode airs on Adult Swim on Sept. 5 at midnight ET/PT before the series' official premiere on Sept. 19 at midnight ET/PT.
Kid Cosmic Season 2
Kid Cosmic, the latest series from The Powerpuff Girls' creator Craig McCracken, is inspired in part by The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, but unlike that movie, the sequel teaser at the end of Season 1 wasn't a joke. In Season 2, Mo's Oasis Cafe is now in outer space, and team leader Jo is getting a bigger narrative spotlight as she faces off with the Galactus-esque villain Erodius the Planet Killer. A third season, centered around the old hippie Papa G, has already been announced.
Kid Cosmic Season 2 premieres on Netflix on Sept. 7.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
If Kevin Smith's Masters of the Universe: Revelation wasn't enough He-Man for you, a new CGI reboot of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is hoping to grab the next generation of fans. While it might face difficulty avoiding the inane fan controversies that have plagued other recent MOTU series, DreamWorks Television Animation did an amazing job with She-Ra and the Princesses of Power despite such controversies, so there's reason to hope this new show will do the same.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe premieres on Netflix on Sept. 16.
Star Wars: Visions
Even those who've gotten sick of Star Wars might be interested in checking out Star Wars: Visions, a collection of nine anime short films telling original stories in different parts of the galaxy far, far away. Animation studios Kamikaze Douga, Geno Studios, Studio Colorido, TRIGGER, Kinema Citrus, Science SARU and Production I.G. look to be doing amazing work in stories that range from classic samurai epics to rock operas. For those who care even a little bit about Star Wars and/or anime, this looks like the most exciting new premiere of September.
Star Wars: Visions premieres on Disney+ on Sept. 22.
My Little Pony: A New Generation
15 years ago, it might have seemed unbelievable that grown men would become obsessed with the My Little Pony franchise, but then the unusually high-quality My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic became a phenomenon. My Little Pony: A New Generation, officially the start of "Gen 5" for the franchise, is in continuity with the previous series but centers around a new group of horse friends in the land of Equestria. Will this be the rebirth of the Brony fandom?
Arriving on Netflix Sept. 24, My Little Pony: A New Generation features Vanessa Hudgens as Sunny Starscout, Kimiko Glenn as Izzy Moonbow, James Marsden as Hitch Trailblazer, Ken Jeong as Sprout and Phil LaMarr as Alphabittle. The film is directed by Robert Cullen and Jose Ucha from a screenplay by Gillian Berrow and Tim Sullivan.