Animated Films And Series Coming To Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max In February 2021

Welcome to our second monthly guide to streaming animation.
Earwig and the Witch. Studio Ghibli’s first film in six years is a departure from the house style: for the first time, the storied anime studio has produced a feature entirely in cgi. But the story — about a young orphan girl discovering her magic powers — fits right into the studio’s canon. Two days after opening in select theaters, the film is debuting on HBO Max, joining the rest of the Ghibli catalogue. (Feb 5)
Inside Pixar: Portraits. Disney+ is getting five more episodes of the behind-the-scenes mini-series. This batch will look beyond directors and visual artists to other, lower-profile professions, such as director of international production and pastry chef. The short films are studio-produced, which means they have good access and a general back-slapping vibe. (Feb 12)

Our picks

We’ve rounded up the shows and films — new and old alike — coming to Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max in February (in the U.S.). Fully animated and hybrid titles are included, as are documentaries about subjects related to animation. We’ll be publishing a new round-up every month.
Kid Cosmic. Craig McCracken, the creator of The Powerpuff Girls, returns to sci-fi superhero territory for his first Netflix series (which is also his first serialized show). A boy’s dream of acquiring superpowers comes true when he discovers five magical “cosmic stones.” Trouble is, he’s not very good at wielding those powers. (Feb 2)
Check out our five picks of the month, then scroll on down for the full list.
Tom & Jerry. Long in the making, this film revives the beloved franchise in hybrid form. The cat and mouse appear in cgi, but the design, rigging, and animation attempt to be faithful to the style of the hand-drawn originals. The film is launching simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, as per the strategy for Warner Bros.’s films this year. It will leave HBO Max after 31 days. (Feb 26)
The Book of Life. Jorge Gutierrez’s graphically arresting tribute to Mexico’s Day of the Dead is a riotous, hugely entertaining slice of fantasy. Produced by Fox, it is now in the Disney stable, and will soon sit on Disney+ alongside Pixar’s later film Coco (which bears more than a passing similarity to it). (Feb 19)

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