Fasten your seatbelts for another road trip, as the Mitchells and the machines are gearing up for a rematch. The Oscar-nominated animated film, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, is officially getting a sequel, with production set to begin in early 2026.
According to Variety, the forthcoming outing is being helmed by Guillermo Martinez, who served as head of story on the first film, and The Bad Guys 2 co-director JP Sans. Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, known professionally as the Molyneux sisters, are penning the screenplay for the project, which would mark Martinez’s directorial debut. Phil Lord and Christoper Miller are producing through their company Lord Miller, while Kurt Albrecht is producing for Sony Pictures Animation.
Just like the original, Netflix will handle distribution as part of an ongoing licensing agreement with Sony Pictures. This time, the plan is for a more collaborative rollout — a natural and logical course of action, following the phenomenal success of their latest joint venture KPop Demon Hunters, which is already in talks for a sequel.
It hasn’t been the smoothest ride for The Mitchells vs. the Machines, originally slated for theatrical release by Sony in 2020, before pandemic delays led to Netflix picking it up for more than US$100 million. The risk paid off, as it went on to become one of the streamer’s most beloved animated movies, scoring 97 percent (Tomatometer) and 89 percent (Popcornmeter) on Rotten Tomatoes.
The animated hit follows the titular family as they drive their eldest daughter, Katie (Abbi Jacobson), across the country to film school in California. Along the way, a rogue AI called PAL (Olivia Colman) commandeers an army of robots to launch a worldwide rebellion against humanity, leaving it up to the Mitchells to save the world.
Other cast members include Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down) as Katie’s father, Rick; Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids) as her mother, Linda; and Mike Rianda as Aaron, his younger brother. Rianda, who also co-wrote and directed The Mitchells vs. the Machines, will return as an executive producer for the sequel, alongside Aditya Sood.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
