At the Annecy festival, Netflix unveiled a diverse slate of upcoming animated projects, signaling a stronger commitment to global storytelling and inventive visuals. The lineup includes the South Korean feature Lost in Starlight, a near-future sci-fi romance about a scientist and a musician, set to premiere on Netflix in 2025, and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, an adaptation of Murakami’s stories exploring post-disaster existential threads. Also announced are the dream-world adventure In Your Dreams for 2025 and Alley Cats, an adult animated comedy about feral cats from Ricky Gervais slated for 2026 in a 2D format. Together, the announcements reflect Netflix’s broadened appetite for varied genres and international voices, with momentum building toward a more expansive animated catalog.}
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Lost in Starlight, directed by Han Ji-Won, is Netflix's first feature-length animation from South Korea. The film follows Nan-young, a scientist aiming to join a Mars mission, and Jay, a musician overcoming stage fright, blending science fiction with a romantic storyline; release is scheduled for May 30, 2025.
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, directed by Pierre Földes and based on Haruki Murakami's short stories, centers on characters in Tokyo dealing with the post-2011 disaster landscape, highlighting existential themes. The project previously premiered at Annecy in 2022 and had UK/ Ireland cinema release on March 31, 2023.
In Your Dreams, by Alex Woo, presents a family-friendly animated comedy-adventure through the dream world of a 12-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother, emphasizing imagination and whimsical challenges; Netflix release is planned for 2025.
Alley Cats, created by Ricky Gervais, is an adult animated comedy about a group of feral British cats navigating friendship and rivalry. Voiced by Gervais as Gus, the 2D series will comprise six 15-minute episodes and is slated for 2026.
The announcements collectively position Netflix as expanding its animated portfolio with diverse storytelling, international creators, and varied formats, signaling a strategic push into global audiences with stylistic and thematic breadth.
Across the slate, Netflix signals a commitment to blending heartfelt character-driven narratives with genre experimentation, leveraging contemporary animation techniques to deliver both prestige features and accessible, short-form series.