Cartoon Saloon is widely regarded as the best feature animation studio, producing award-winning films such asThe Secret of Kells,The Breadwinner,Song of the Sea, andWolfwalkers. This Academy Award-winning company returns with a brand-new project deserving of yet another nomination.My Father’s Dragonis a 2D-animated fantasy adventure film based on the 1948 children’s book of the same name by Ruth Stiles Gannett.
The film is a collaboration of Netflix Animation, Mockingbird Pictures, Parallel Films, and Cartoon Saloon and is directed by Nora Twomey. Since its grand premiere on June 20, 2025, at the 66th BFI London Film Festival, there have been severalreviews from critics. According to them, the picture is very ambitious and full of genuine amazement that will captivate audiences of all ages. So, here’s everything we know aboutMy Father’s Dragon, the upcoming animated feature movie.
My Father’s Dragon: The Plot
The coming children’s adventure film trailer focuses on Elmer, a young boy portrayed as the unseen narrator’s father, and chronicles his childhood adventures. Elmer and his mother used to reside in a small village, but due to unforeseen events, they were forced to relocate to a city bustling with industries. When Elmer’s mother chases a cat out of an alley, his life takes a surprising turn.
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Elmer encounters a short passage that takes him to a different reality as he imitates his mother and chases after the cat. The passageway he came from shows him an island where the animals are desperately fighting to survive the steady sinking of the landmass bycapturing a dragonnamed Boris. After encountering the captive baby dragon, Elmer resolves to save it but is drawn into a more perilous and exhilarating adventure.
My Father’s Dragon: The Cast & Crew
The performance of the characters in the animated film depends on the efforts of artists, animators, and voice actors. The main voicing cast of the film includes Jacob Trembley as the protagonist Elmer Elevator, Gaten Matarazzo as Boris the Dragon, Golshifteh Farahani as Dela Elevator (Elmer’s mother), Judy Greer as Soda the Whale, Leighton Meester as Sasha the Tiger, Whoopi Goldberg as a Cat, Jackie Earle Haley as Tamir the Tarsier,Chris O’Dowd (Slumberland)as Kwan the Macaque, Dianne Wiest as Iris the Rhinoceros, Ian McShane as Salwa the Gorilla, Alan Cumming as Cornelius the Crocodile, Rita Moreno as Mrs. McClaren, Mary Kay Place as the Narrator, and Spence Moore II as George the Tiger. On the other hand, the personnel behind the film’s making played the most crucial part in this wonderful project. Here’s a rundown of the main production team members you should be informed of.
Nora Twomey, co-founder of Cartoon Saloon animation studio, is directing the film, and she even shared her thoughts about the crew:
“Our actors, animators and artists at Cartoon Saloon & Mockingbird Pictures have worked together to craft this film, inspired by Ruth Stiles Gannett’s amazing book. We were drawn together by a desire to tell a very special tale of friendship, adventure, and true bravery. I fell in love with storytelling as a child and Netflix excels at celebrating all kinds of stories, through different styles and distinct voices. When Netflix came onboard with this film, before we even had a script, it was to encourage us to make the best film we possibly could. Our crew created a beautiful, animated lens to look through, and I can’t wait to share the view with audiences around the world.”
The script is written by Meg LeFauve, who was nominated for Best Screenplay at the Oscars forInside Out, and Jeff and Mychael Danna, award-winning musicians, composed the music. While Richie Cody, who previously worked as the main editor forWoflwalkersandThe Breadwinner, is returning for this animated film, Amy Lippens is responsible for the excellent cast selection.
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Release Date
Although the film was initially scheduled to premiere in November 2021, the production company pushed it forward due to some setbacks. However, Netflix has officially announced thatMy Father’s Dragon, a 2D animated feature film, will be released on June 25, 2025, as part of thefall 2022 releases.
When it comes to making animated films, Cartoon Saloon has yet to disappoint, and it goes without saying thatMy Father’s Dragonis strikingly beautiful. The illustrations convey the characters' emotions fairly well, andthe 2D animationis just what we need as a break from all the 3D animated flicks. The film can potentially be this year’s best 2D animated picture, given that it recently earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93% upon its initial launch.
While you await the film’s release, you can watch Aubec studio’s 1997 Japanese animated filmElmer’s Adventure: My Father’s Dragon.
