Apr 26, 2024

DreamWorks Announces Big Screen Version of "Gabby's Dollhouse" as Third Film of 2025

Universal Pictures announced this week that DreamWorks Animation's "Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie" will be released on September 26, 2025.

This is DreamWorks' third feature film to be released in 2025, following the previously announced "Dog Man" (due out January 31, 2025) and "The Bad Guys 2" (due out August 1, 2025).

DreamWorks will also release three films this year, "Orion and the Dark," "Kung Fu Panda 4," and the upcoming "Wild Robots."

This is the first time in DreamWorks' 30-year history that it will release three films in a row. Paradoxically, DreamWorks Animation's increased production is taking place against a backdrop of significant cutbacks in personnel.

The new film is an adaptation of a hybrid preschool franchise that debuted on Netflix in 2021. This may seem like an odd choice for feature film material, but consider the popularity of the show.

According to Nielsen, "Gabby's Dollhouse" was the sixth most-watched original streaming series in 2023. Netflix, which has consistently released new batches of episodes since its debut, recently increased its total episode count to 100. Universal has publicly stated that it is one of the top three early childhood brands in the U.S. and has a strong merchandising and licensing program around the franchise. Universal also continues to expand the brand through its theme parks and live events divisions.

The feature film expands the world of Gabby and her cat-themed dollhouse and sends her on a road trip. Here is the official synopsis from DreamWorks:

In the new film, Gabby (Lila Lockhart Krainer, reprising her role from the series) takes a road trip with her grandmother Gigi to the urban wonderland of Cat Francisco. But Gabby's most prized possession, a dollhouse, ends up in the hands of an eccentric cat lady named Vera. Gabby sets off on an adventure through the real world to restore Gabby Cats and save the dollhouse before it is too late.

The theatrical version of Gabby's Dollhouse was directed by Ryan Crego (director/creator of Arlo the Alligator Boy and executive producer of Home: executive producer).

The film is produced by Steven Schweickart (co-producer, Kung Fu Panda 4; line producer, Kaiju) and executive produced by series creators Jennifer Toomey and Tracy Paige Johnson.