Ryan Reynolds and Jason Momoa Star in ‘Animal Friends’: A Fun R-Rated Live Action-Animation Comedy Coming Winter 2027
Warner Bros Shifts Release Date for ‘Animal Friends’ to 2027
Warner Bros has officially rescheduled the release of Legendary’s live-action animated hybrid comedy, Animal Friends, to January 22, 2027. Sources indicate that the delay allows for greater availability of the film’s cast, which includes Ryan Reynolds, Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, Lil Rel Howery, Addison Rae, and Ellie Bamber, for promotional activities.
Directed by Peter Atencio and penned by Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider, Animal Friends initially transitioned from Sony to Warner Bros after Legendary’s deal at the Culver City studio came to an end. The film’s release date history is notable, with previous dates set for August 15, 2025, October 10, 2025, May 1, 2026, and most recently, June 5, 2026.
On January 22, 2027, Animal Friends will be the only major studio title competing at the box office, alongside Bleecker Street’s The Third Parent and Cineverse’s Air Bud Returns.
In Animal Friends, two fugitive animals embark on a cross-country adventure to return to their former ranch, mending their friendship while being pursued by an unusual pair of DEA agents.
The film is produced by Legendary, Maximum Effort, and Prime Focus Studios.
Despite the shift, several films are still slated for release on June 5, 2026, including Amazon MGM Studios’ Masters of the Universe, Lionsgate’s Power Ballad featuring Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd, and Paramount/Miramax’s Scary Movie.
R-rated animated films are a rarity, with recent examples being Sausage Party, which earned $97.7 million domestically and $140.7 million worldwide in August 2016, and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which grossed $52 million in the U.S. and over $83 million globally in June 1999.
