Animal Features of the 21st Century (2000-2022)
Trace the emergence of new trends and the intensification of old patterns in 21st Century Animal Movies with this database of featured and supporting animal characters. Included are movies with significant US distribution from 2000-2022, as are key TV super-series special events.
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- DirectorPeter LordNick ParkStarsMel GibsonJulia SawalhaPhil DanielsWhen a cockerel apparently flies into a chicken farm, the chickens see him as an opportunity to escape their evil owners.
- DirectorChristopher GuestStarsFred WillardEugene LevyCatherine O'HaraA behind-the-scenes look into the highly competitive and cut-throat world of dog shows through the eyes of a group of ruthless dog owners.
- DirectorJay RussellStarsFrankie MunizKevin BaconDiane LaneA shy boy grows up in 1940s Mississippi with the help of his beloved dog, Skip.
- DirectorChris WedgeCarlos SaldanhaStarsDenis LearyJohn LeguizamoRay RomanoThe story revolves around sub-zero heroes: a woolly mammoth, a saber-toothed tiger, a sloth and a prehistoric combination of a squirrel and rat, known as Scrat.
- DirectorMichael ThurmeierGalen T. ChuStarsRay RomanoDenis LearyJohn LeguizamoWhen Scrat's acorn sends an asteroid to Earth, the Herd must find a way to stop the asteroid from hitting Earth with the help of a returning friend.
- DirectorCarlos SaldanhaStarsRay RomanoJohn LeguizamoDenis LearyManny, Sid and Diego discover that the ice age is coming to an end, and join everybody for a journey to higher ground. On the trip, they discover that Manny is not in fact the last of the woolly mammoths.
- DirectorSteve MartinoMichael ThurmeierStarsRay RomanoDenis LearyJohn LeguizamoManny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.
- DirectorCarlos SaldanhaMichael ThurmeierStarsRay RomanoJohn LeguizamoDenis LearyWhen Sid's attempt to adopt three dinosaur eggs gets him abducted by their real mother to an underground lost world, his friends attempt to rescue him.
- DirectorMarshall Fels ElliottJohn C. DonkinStarsUtkarsh AmbudkarSean KeninJake GreenPossum brothers Crash and Eddie set out to find a place of their own. Together with the one-eyed weasel, Buck Wild, they face the dinosaurs who inhabit the Lost World.
- DirectorNiki CaroStarsKeisha Castle-HughesRawiri ParateneVicky HaughtonA contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.
- DirectorJacques PerrinJacques CluzaudMichel DebatsStarsJacques PerrinPhilippe LabroDocumentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents.
- DirectorByambasuren DavaaLuigi FalorniStarsJanchiv AyurzanaChimed OhinAmgaabazar GonsonWhen a Mongolian nomadic family's newest camel colt is rejected by its mother, a musician is needed for a ritual to change her mind.
- DirectorAndrew StantonLee UnkrichStarsAlbert BrooksEllen DeGeneresAlexander GouldAfter his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home.
- DirectorAndrew StantonAngus MacLaneStarsEllen DeGeneresAlbert BrooksEd O'NeillFriendly but forgetful blue tang Dory begins a search for her long-lost parents and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.
- DirectorGary RossStarsTobey MaguireJeff BridgesElizabeth BanksTrue story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation.
- DirectorAaron BlaiseRobert WalkerStarsJoaquin PhoenixJeremy SuarezRick MoranisWhen a young Inuit hunter needlessly kills a bear, he is magically changed into a bear himself as punishment with a talkative cub being his only guide to changing back.
- DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsGuy PearceFreddie HighmoreJean-Claude DreyfusTwo tigers are separated as cubs and taken into captivity, only to be reunited years later as enemies by an explorer who inadvertently forces them to fight each other.
- DirectorHarry BasilGene QuintanoStarsSeth AdkinsMatthew ModineRoma DowneyBoy genius Michael Dean (Adkins) teams up with a super-talented chimpanzee and his caretaker (Modine) to take down an animal testing lab. In exchange the scientist gives the boy some pointers on the girl of his dreams.
- DirectorPeter HewittStarsBreckin MeyerJennifer Love HewittStephen TobolowskyJon Arbuckle buys a second pet, a dog named Odie. However, Odie is then abducted and it is up to Jon's cat, Garfield, to find and rescue the canine.
- DirectorTim HillStarsBreckin MeyerJennifer Love HewittBilly ConnollyJon and Garfield visit the United Kingdom, where a case of mistaken cat identity finds Garfield ruling over a castle. His reign is soon jeopardized by the nefarious Lord Dargis, who has designs on the estate.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsTimothy TreadwellAmie HuguenardWerner HerzogA devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.
- DirectorLuc JacquetStarsMorgan FreemanRomane BohringerCharles BerlingIn the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.
- DirectorEric DarnellTom McGrathStarsChris RockBen StillerDavid SchwimmerA group of animals who have spent all their life in a New York zoo end up in the jungles of Madagascar, and must adjust to living in the wild.
- DirectorEric DarnellSimon J. SmithStarsTom McGrathChris MillerChristopher KnightsSkipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private join forces with undercover organization The North Wind to stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine from destroying the world as we know it.
- DirectorEric DarnellTom McGrathStarsBen StillerChris RockDavid SchwimmerThe Madagascar animals fly back to New York City, but crash-land on an African nature reserve in Kenya, where they meet others of their own kind, and Alex especially discovers his royal heritage as prince of a lion pride.
- DirectorEric DarnellTom McGrathConrad VernonStarsBen StillerJada Pinkett SmithChris RockThe Madagascar animals join a struggling European circus to get back to New York, but find themselves being pursued by a psychotic animal-control officer.
- DirectorNikolaus GeyrhalterStarsClaus Hansen PetzArkadiusz RydellekBarbara HinzOUR DAILY BREAD is a wide-screen tableau of a feast which isn't always easy to digest - and in which we all take part. A pure, meticulous and high-end film experience that enables the audience to form their own ideas.
- DirectorWayne WangStarsAnnaSophia RobbJeff DanielsEva Marie SaintA mischievous dog befriends a lonely young girl in a new town and helps her make new friends.
- DirectorMike ShileyStarsAaron MinjaresLarry RobertsKim UphamA dedicated and compassionate group of volunteer rescuers and animal welfare groups from around the world risked their lives to sledgehammer down doors and brave toxic floodwaters in a truly heroic effort to save nearly 10,000 animals.
- DirectorGeorge MillerWarren ColemanJudy MorrisStarsElijah WoodBrittany MurphyHugh JackmanInto the world of the Emperor Penguins, who find their soul mates through song, a penguin is born who cannot sing. But he can tap dance something fierce!
- DirectorGeorge MillerGary EckDavid PeersStarsElijah WoodRobin WilliamsPinkMumble's son, Erik, is struggling to realize his talents in the Emperor Penguin world. Meanwhile, Mumble and his family and friends discover a new threat their home -- one that will take everyone working together to save them.
- DirectorTim JohnsonKarey KirkpatrickStarsBruce WillisGarry ShandlingSteve CarellA scheming raccoon fools a mismatched family of forest creatures into helping him repay a debt of food, by invading the new suburban sprawl that popped up while they were hibernating...and learns a lesson about family himself.
- DirectorBrad BirdJan PinkavaStarsBrad GarrettLou RomanoPatton OswaltA rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous Paris restaurant.
- DirectorSimon J. SmithSteve HicknerStarsJerry SeinfeldRenée ZellwegerMatthew BroderickBarry B. Benson, a bee just graduated from college, is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a special trip outside the hive, Barry's life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans actually eat honey and subsequently decides to sue them.
- DirectorMike WhiteStarsMolly ShannonJohn C. ReillyPeter SarsgaardA secretary's life changes in unexpected ways after her dog dies.
- DirectorCameron CroweStarsMatt DamonScarlett JohanssonThomas Haden ChurchSet in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.
- DirectorRobinson DevorStarsCoyoteJenny EdwardsJohn EdwardsA look at the life of an Enumclaw, Washington man who died as a result of an unusual encounter with a horse.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughChadden HunterGordon BuchananDavid Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.
- DirectorLouie SchwartzbergStarsMeryl StreepAn intimate look at incredible-and increasingly threatened-creatures that a third of the world's food supply depends upon.
- DirectorKirk DeMiccoStarsAndy SambergStanley TucciJeff DanielsThree chimps are sent into space to explore the possibility of alien life when an unmanned space shuttle crash lands on an uncharted planet.
- DirectorJay RussellStarsEmily WatsonDavid MorrisseyAlex EtelA lonely boy discovers a mysterious egg that hatches a sea creature of Scottish legend.
- DirectorLuc JacquetStarsBertille Noël-BruneauIsabelle CarréThomas LalibertéIt has been described as both a nature documentary and a "fairy tale" look at the story of young girl and her friendship with a fox.
- DirectorByron HowardChris WilliamsStarsJohn TravoltaMiley CyrusSusie EssmanThe canine star of a fictional sci-fi/action show that believes his powers are real embarks on a cross country trek to save his co-star from a threat he believes is just as real.
- DirectorRaja GosnellStarsDrew BarrymoreGeorge LopezPiper PeraboWhile on vacation in Mexico, Chloe, a ritzy Beverly Hills chihuahua, finds herself lost and in need of assistance in order to get back home.
- DirectorDavid FrankelStarsOwen WilsonJennifer AnistonEric DaneA family learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsGeorge ClooneyMeryl StreepBill MurrayAn urbane fox cannot resist returning to his farm raiding ways and then must help his community survive the farmers' retaliation.
- DirectorThor FreudenthalStarsEmma RobertsJake T. AustinLisa KudrowTwo kids secretly take in stray dogs at a vacant hotel.
- DirectorLasse HallströmStarsRichard GereJoan AllenCary-Hiroyuki TagawaProfessor Wilson discovers a lost Akita puppy on his way home. Despite objections from his wife, Hachi endears himself to the family and grows to be Parker's loyal companion. As their bond grows deeper, a beautiful relationship unfolds.
- DirectorNick StringerStarsMiranda RichardsonDavid BowlesPatrick CoxA little loggerhead turtle follows in the path of her ancestors on one of the most extraordinary journeys in the natural world. Born on a beach in Florida, she rides the Gulf Stream all the way to the frozen north and ultimately swims around the entire North Atlantic to Africa and back to the beach where she was born.
- DirectorJenny SteinStarsHarold BrownCheri Ezell-VandersluisHoward LymanPeaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home explores the powerful struggle of conscience experienced by several people from traditional farming backgrounds who come to question the basic assumptions of their way of life. A riveting story of transformation and healing, the documentary portrays the farmers' sometimes amazing connections with the animals under their care, while also providing insight into the complex web of social, psychological and economic forces that have led to their inner conflict. Interwoven with the farmers' stories is the dramatic animal rescue work of a newly-trained humane police officer whose sense of justice puts her at odds with the law she is charged to uphold. With strikingly honest interviews and rare footage demonstrating the emotional lives and intense family bonds of animals most often viewed as living commodities, this groundbreaking documentary shatters stereotypical notions of farmers, farm life, and perhaps most surprisingly, farm animals themselves.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsSam WorthingtonZoe SaldanaSigourney WeaverA paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
- DirectorPaul FierlingerSandra FierlingerStarsChristopher PlummerLynn RedgraveIsabella RosselliniThe story of a man who rescues a German shepherd and how the two become fast friends.
- DirectorJessica OreckUntangling the web of cultural and historical ties underlying Japan's deep fascination with insects.
- DirectorRandall WallaceStarsDiane LaneJohn MalkovichMargo MartindalePenny Chenery Tweedy and colleagues guide her long-shot but precocious stallion to set, in 1973, the unbeaten record for winning the Triple Crown.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsJim SturgessHugo WeavingDavid WenhamSoren, a young owl, is kidnapped by the evil owls of St Aegolious and want to turn him into a soldier. He escapes with some of his friends and warns the mythical guardians about the evil plan.
- DirectorReinhard KloossHolger TappeStarsJames CordenStephen FryAndy SerkisA group of animals waiting for the annual flood they rely on for food and water discover that the humans, who have been destroying their habitats have built a dam for a leisure resort.
- DirectorRoger KumbleStarsBrendan FraserBrooke ShieldsRicky GarciaIn the Oregon wilderness, a real-estate developer's new housing subdivision faces a unique group of protestors: local woodland creatures who don't want their homes disturbed.
- DirectorMichael WebberStarsTim HarrisonTerry BrumfieldRuss ClearTake a journey deep inside the fascinating world where wild exotic animals are kept as household pets.
- DirectorTom DeyStarsOwen WilsonJudy GreerLee PaceA suburban family moves to a new neighborhood with their large, yet lovable Great Dane, who has a tendency to wreak havoc in his own oblivious way.
- DirectorMark A.Z. DippéYoungki LeePhil NibbelinkStarsPete DavidsonJ.K. SimmonsDavid KoechnerA legendary dog trainer believes he can transform Marmaduke from an undisciplined, but lovable dog, into the first Great Dane to win the World Dog Championship.
- DirectorDean DeBloisStarsJay BaruchelCate BlanchettGerard ButlerWhen Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.
- DirectorDean DeBloisStarsJay BaruchelAmerica FerreraF. Murray AbrahamWhen Hiccup discovers Toothless isn't the only Night Fury, he must seek the Hidden World, a secret Dragon Utopia before a hired tyrant named Grimmel finds it first.
- DirectorFrank CoraciStarsKevin JamesRosario DawsonLeslie BibbA group of zoo animals decide to break their code of silence in order to help their lovable zookeeper find love, without opting to leave his current job for something more illustrious.
- DirectorCarlos SaldanhaStarsJesse EisenbergAnne HathawayGeorge LopezWhen Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro with the bird of his dreams.
- DirectorCarlos SaldanhaStarsJesse EisenbergAnne HathawayJemaine ClementIt's a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel, and their three kids after they're hurtled from Rio de Janeiro to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel and meets his father-in-law.
- DirectorKeith ScholeyAlastair FothergillStarsSamuel L. JacksonPatrick StewartMeet Mara, an endearing lion cub striving to be like her mother; Sita, a cheetah and single mother of five; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion.
- DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsJohnny DeppIsla FisherTimothy OlyphantRango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff.
- DirectorCharles Martin SmithStarsMorgan FreemanAshley JuddHarry Connick Jr.A boy finds a dolphin that was injured in a trap. They become friends, but the dolphin needs to have its tail amputated to survive. With the help of a biologist and a prosthetics specialist, the boy tries to save the animal.
- DirectorCharles Martin SmithStarsMorgan FreemanAshley JuddNathan GambleThe team of people who saved Winter's life reassemble in the wake of her surrogate mother's passing in order to find her a companion so she can remain at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
- DirectorCindy MeehlStarsBuck BrannamanGary MyersBibb FrazierAn examination of the life of acclaimed 'horse whisperer' Buck Brannaman, who recovered from years of child abuse to become a well-known expert in the interactions between horses and people.
- DirectorRupert WyattStarsJames FrancoAndy SerkisFreida PintoA substance designed to help the brain repair itself gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee who leads an ape uprising.
- DirectorMatt ReevesStarsGary OldmanKeri RussellAndy SerkisThe fragile peace between apes and humans is threatened as mistrust and betrayal threaten to plunge both tribes into a war for dominance over the Earth.
- DirectorMatt ReevesStarsAndy SerkisWoody HarrelsonSteve ZahnAfter the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsJeremy IrvineEmily WatsonDavid ThewlisA young farm boy enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. His hopeful journey takes him out of England and onto the front lines as the war rages on.
- DirectorJames MarshStarsNim ChimpskyStephanie LaFargeHerbert TerraceTells the story of a chimpanzee taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child by a family in a brownstone on the upper West Side in the 1970s.
- DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsRobert PattinsonReese WitherspoonChristoph WaltzJacob takes a job as an animal caretaker in a traveling circus. There he meets Marlena, a beautiful circus performer. Their shared compassion for a special elephant Rosie leads to love, but Marlena's cruel husband stands in their way.
- DirectorMark WatersStarsJim CarreyCarla GuginoAngela LansburyThe life of a businessman begins to change after he inherits six penguins, and as he transforms his apartment into a winter wonderland, his professional side starts to unravel.
- DirectorDavid LickleyStarsBirute GaldikasDaphne SheldrickMorgan FreemanThis heartwarming film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them-saving endangered species one life at a time.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsSuraj SharmaIrrfan KhanAdil HussainA young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
- DirectorKen KwapisStarsDrew BarrymoreJohn KrasinskiJohn PingayakIn small-town Alaska, a news reporter recruits his Greenpeace-volunteer ex-girlfriend on a campaign to save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly-forming ice in the Arctic Circle.
- DirectorSeth MacFarlaneStarsMark WahlbergMila KunisSeth MacFarlaneJohn Bennett, a man whose childhood wish of bringing his teddy bear to life came true, now must decide between keeping the relationship with the bear, Ted or his girlfriend, Lori.
- DirectorSeth MacFarlaneStarsMark WahlbergSeth MacFarlaneAmanda SeyfriedNewlywed couple Ted and Tami-Lynn want to have a baby, but in order to qualify to be a parent, Ted will have to prove he's a person in a court of law.
- DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsDiane KeatonKevin KlineDianne WiestThe story of a woman who loves her dog more than her husband. And then her husband loses the dog.
- DirectorAlastair FothergillMark LinfieldStarsTim AllenMeet adorable young chimp Oscar and his fellow mayhem-creating buddies, who see the world as their playground. Full of curiosity, joy and a love for mimicking others, these are some of the most extraordinary personalities in the jungle.
- DirectorAlexandre AjaStarsElisabeth ShueJerry O'ConnellRichard DreyfussAfter a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area's new razor-toothed residents.
- DirectorDenis CôtéAlong the rhythm of the seasons, beasts and humans regard each other. 'Bestiary' unfolds like a picture book about mutual observation. A contemplation of a stable imbalance, and of loose, tranquil and indefinable elements.
- DirectorGabriela CowperthwaiteStarsTilikumDave DuffusSamantha BergA documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
- DirectorLiz MarshallStarsMarcel SabaLori ReesePerrie WardellA cinematic documentary that illuminates the lives of individual animals living within and rescued from the machine of our modern world.
- DirectorAnthony SilverstonStarsJake T. AustinAdrian RhodesSam RiegelRejected by his superstitious herd, a half-striped zebra embarks on a daring quest to earn his stripes but finds the courage and self-acceptance to save all the animals of the Great Karoo.
- DirectorRob MinkoffStarsTy BurrellMax CharlesStephen ColbertSherman, a young boy, misuses a time machine made by his scientist father Mr. Peabody and causes the world history to go haywire. It is now up to Mr. Peabody to rescue his son and the world.
- DirectorPeter LepeniotisStarsWill ArnettBrendan FraserLiam NeesonAn incorrigibly self-serving exiled squirrel finds himself helping his former park brethren survive by raiding a nut store, a location that also happens to be a front for a human gang's bank robbery.
- DirectorCal BrunkerStarsWill ArnettMaya RudolphBobby CannavaleA group of squirrels try to stop a mayor from destroying the park where they live to make way for a dysfunctional amusement park.
- DirectorKornél MundruczóStarsZsófia PsottaSándor ZsótérLili HorvátThirteen-year-old Lili fights to protect her dog Hagen. She is devastated when her father eventually sets Hagen free on the streets. Still innocently believing love can conquer any difficulty, Lili sets out to find her dog and save him.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsRussell CroweJennifer ConnellyAnthony HopkinsNoah is chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission before an apocalyptic flood cleanses the world.
- DirectorPaul KingStarsHugh BonnevilleSally HawkinsJulie WaltersA young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.
- DirectorPaul KingStarsBen WhishawHugh GrantHugh BonnevillePaddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.
- DirectorLinda HoaglundStarsVanessa RedgraveThe Gift is a feature-length film exploring a major transformation in peoples' relationships with animals. Humans, who have long considered animals inferior, are increasingly recognizing them as emotional equals, as creatures endowed with individual spirits and personalities. The Gift will reveal how our growing awareness of the gift of the animal spirit is inspiring our relationship to animals, through portraits of the animal 'rescue' movement and incorporating an ancient fable about a wounded crane, rescued by peasants, who repays them with a miraculous gift. The film will pay special attention to the animals' perspective through the inventive use of Super Slow Motion using the latest technological developments.
- DirectorBoaz YakinStarsThomas Haden ChurchJosh WigginsLuke KleintankA military dog that helped American Marines in Afghanistan returns to the United States and is adopted by his handler's family after suffering a traumatic experience.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsColin FarrellRachel WeiszJessica BardenIn a dystopian near future, according to the laws of The City, single people are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or they're transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.
- DirectorMark BurtonRichard StarzakStarsJustin FletcherJohn SparkesOmid DjaliliWhen Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it's up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.