Warner releases new animated intro, reveals its roadmap until 2028 and announces a new Powerpuff Girls movie

Warner Bros. is betting big on recovering author animation in theaters. Its renewed label, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation (WBPA), premiered a new animated identity sequence in the trailers for The Cat in the Hat, presented at the Annecy 2026 festival a roadmap with seven feature films until 2028 and confirmed that a new The Girls film Powerpuff Girls (The Powerpuff Girls) is in development, almost 25 years after the franchise's only theatrical release in 2002.

The new intro from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation

After the closure of Warner Animation Group—which produced six films in a decade, including The Lego Movie and Smallfoot—, WBPA was born as a theatrical animation arm under Bill Damaschke and Pam Abdy. Their mission, repeated at the Burbank open house and in Annecy: “bold, modern animated films for global audiences in theaters,” without a single mandatory “house look.”

The label's new animated intro appeared for the first time at the beginning of the official trailer for The Cat in the Hat. In June 2026, the third trailer incorporated a refined version of the same sequence, also visible in previous presentations such as CinemaCon and the pre-Annecy showcase. It replaces the classic Warner Bros. Pictures static card with an animated piece that emphasizes the legacy of Termite Terrace and the deliberate return to the film format.

Roadmap: which films arrive and when

In May, WBPA detailed its schedule at an open house in Burbank (Animation Magazine). In Annecy it expanded the “A New Chapter” showcase with exclusive footage of several titles and the announcement of Prehistoria, an original musical by Vivienne Medrano (VivziePop, creator of Hazbin Hotel), according to Variety and Deadline.

Damaschke compared the current pace to the past: the former Warner Animation Group made six films in ten years; The new plan contemplates seven feature films and one short in three years, with some 250 artists in 13 countries and more than a thousand people including partners such as Locksmith Animation, DNEG and Swaybox Studios.

In development (undated): Meerkat Manor, Tom and Jerry (hybrid, script Rashida Jones), Meet the Flintstones (Aaron Horvath / Michael Jelenic). Dates according to Animation Magazine (May 2026), Variety and the official site warnerbrospicturesanimation.com.

The closest titles

• The Cat in the Hat (Nov 6, 2026): adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic with Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson, America Ferrera and Matt Berry. It is the litmus test of the label: if it works at the box office, it will validate the “filmmaker-driven” model that Damaschke defends against competition from Disney, Universal/Illumination and Sony.
• Bad Fairies (May 21, 2027): punk musical comedy about rebellious fairies; first co-production with Locksmith. The number “Live Out Loud” premiered in Annecy and the cast was expanded.
• Margie Claus (Nov 5, 2027): Christmas comedy starring Melissa McCarthy as Santa's wife, with Kirk DeMicco (The Croods) at the helm.
• Prehistory: original prehistoric fantasy musical by Vivienne Medrano; announced on June 22 in Annecy without a premiere window.

A new Powerpuff Girls movie

In parallel to the WBPA showcase, the Warner Bros. Discovery animation ecosystem made its move with an iconic Cartoon Network franchise. According to ComicBook.com, during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026 it was confirmed that a new movie by The Powerpuff Girls is in development. At the moment there is no date, director, cast or official synopsis; The note describes the announcement as a developing story.

The franchise created by Craig McCracken debuted on television in 1998 and only had one theatrical feature film: The Powerpuff Girls Movie (July 3, 2002), produced by Cartoon Network Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Although the critics were favorable, the box office was modest (about $16 million compared to the $11 million budget). Since then there have been specials, an animated reboot in 2016 and a failed attempt at a live-action series on The CW; McCracken is also working on an animated reboot at Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe from 2022.

It remains to be clarified whether the new feature film shares a team with the series reboot that McCracken is preparing in Europe or if they are parallel projects. Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe also participated in Annecy with panels on DC (Batman: Knightfall), animated comedies for adults and a tribute to 25 years of Cartoon Network Studios with McCracken among the guests, according to the statement from Pressroom WBD.

What Warner's plan means

WBPA's bet combines classic IP (Looney Tunes, Dr. Seuss, Hanna-Barbera, DC) with high-profile originals (Bad Fairies, Prehistory, The Lunar Chronicles). Pam Abdy summed it up in May: not to pursue a single visual tone, but "stories that connect generations, entertaining for families and sophisticated enough for adults."

For the Spanish-speaking viewer, the calendar starts in November 2026 with The Cat in the Hat —where you can already see the new intro in the YouTube trailers— and extends with a title almost every quarter until the end of 2028. The return of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup to the cinema adds a very powerful piece of nostalgia, although still wrapped in creative unknowns.

In summary

• Is there a new intro? Yes: WBPA animated sequence visible in the trailers for The Cat in the Hat (Jul 2025 and Jun 2026).
• What is the first release? The Cat in the Hat, November 6, 2026.
• How many films did they announce? Seven dated between 2026 and 2028, plus undated Prehistory and several projects in development.
• Are The Powerpuff Girls returning to the movies? Warner confirmed at Annecy 2026 that there is a new film in development; official details are missing.
• Where to see the intro? In the embeds of this article or in the official Warner Bros. trailers on YouTube.