Jun 29, 2021

Animated films and series to appear on Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, and Criterion channels in 2021/7

Welcome to our monthly guide to streaming animation.

We've rounded up the shows and films - new and old alike - coming to Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, and The Criterion Channel in July (in the U.S.). Fully animated and hybrid titles are included, as are documentaries about subjects related to animation.

Check out our five picks of the month, then scroll on down for the full list.

Masameer County. Saudi comedy is in short supply on these shores, which is one reason to check out this series from Riyadh-based studio Myrkott. Another, better reason: the irreverent, oddball satire Masameer: The Movie, which Netflix acquired last year, was genuinely entertaining. This series expands on the franchise, which began as a web series a decade ago, and has since found a large following in the Arab world. (Netflix, July 1)

Space Jam: A New Legacy. LeBron James steps into Michael Jordan's sneakers for this long-awaited sequel, which debuts in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously. Basketball and Looney Tunes return; unlike the original, this film also packs in references to seemingly every property owned by Warnermedia, from The Iron Giant to Game of Thrones. (HBO Max, July 16)

The Mighty Ones. A pebble, a strawberry, a twig, and a leaf cavort in a garden in this good-natured kids' series, which returns for a second season. Created by alumni of Samurai Jack and Gravity Falls, the show breaks the Dreamworks mold, in that it is a storyboard-driven 2d series based on an original concept, not an existing franchise. (Hulu and Peacock, July 1)

We the People. The Obamas executive-produce this new series from Chris Nee (whose Ridley Jones also premieres on Netflix this month). Each three-minute episode covers a fundamental issue of civics, combining animation with music from a range of high-profile artists, among them Janelle Monáe, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Daveed Diggs. (Netflix, July 4)

Belladonna of Sadness. The Criterion Channel's teeming slate of classic indie features includes this, a one-of-a-kind burst of dark psychedelia from Osamu Tezuka's Mushi Pro. Inspired by artists like Klimt and Degas, the film looks like little else in anime - in fact, with its frequent pans across paintings, it often barely looks like animation. But its arresting design and pitiless tale of medieval witchcraft have earned it a cult following. (The Criterion Channel, July 1)

All Dogs Go to Heaven (feature; July 1)All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (feature; July 1)Stuart Little (feature; July 1)Tom and Jerry in New York, season 1 (series; July 1)Looney Tunes Cartoons, season 2 (series; July 8)Tom & Jerry (feature; July 15)Space Jam: A New Legacy (feature; July 16)

(below: all features, all added on July 1)

Images at top, left to right: “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Belladonna of Sadness,” “Masameer: The Movie”