When can we expect a third movie in one of the most adorable new animated franchises?

Making a movie that’s essentially “pandemic-proof” is no easy task, yet that’s exactly what Illumination did with Sing 2! Now it’s been several years since plans for a third movie were announced, so when can we expect our favorite anthropomorphic superstars to step back on stage for Sing 3?

The original Sing movie premiered on December 21, 2016 to positive reviews. The story revolves around a koala bear named Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) who decides to hold a singing talent competition to save his struggling theater. A wild cast of characters voiced by A-list actors like Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Nick Kroll, Taron Egerton, and Tori Kelly show up to audition. The film features popular radio hits from all eras that are basically impossible not to sing along with.

Sing 2 overcame the pandemic

A sequel called Sing 2 followed in December 2021, while the movie-going world was still largely shut down due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Box office reports for Sing 2 were surprisingly good, but the film really soared when it moved to streaming platforms. In a 2023 interview with Variety, Illumination’s founder and CEO Chris Meledandri revealed that Sing 2 ultimately became the third highest-streamed movie in the entire country in 2022. Netflix alone accounted for 80 million streams!

To date, Sing 2 has grossed over $408 million worldwide against a modest budget of just $85 million. It was the highest-grossing animated film in 2021 as well as the tenth highest-grossing film for that year. The success of the second film boosted overall sales for the franchise to over $1 billion. Of course they’re making a third movie! Why wouldn’t they?

When can we watch Sing 3?

In the Variety interview, Meledandri stated that Sing 3 is “deep into development” and “will involve characters from the original cast, but it will take us into a new world.” Yet strong box office numbers are only part of the reason to continue the franchise. “We gauge the audience response in different ways,” he said. “The streaming success of Sing 2 signals that fans want to stay in this world with these characters.”

Assuming actors like McConaughey, Johansson, and Witherspoon return for a third movie, we can’t imagine Sing 3 will be any less successful than the earlier offerings!

There is no official release date yet

Considering that Meledandri said Sing 3 was in development back in 2023, we’d say it’s a safe bet that the highly-anticipated animated film will make its debut sometime in 2025.

In the meantime, both Sing and Sing 2 are available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video.