Movies like The Tale of Despereaux (2008)
The best movies like The Tale of Despereaux (2008) are An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999), Cinderella and the Secret Prince (2018) and Once Upon a Forest (1993). If The Tale of Despereaux hooked you with its adventure and animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)8.2/10 from 789 votes
- NewestForgotten Island (2026)Released 2026
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999)
Follow the clues to fun and excitement as the beloved little mouse takes on a big monster in this charming, full-length adventure. When a ferocious, mouse-nabbing creature puts fear into the hearts of New York City's rodents, Fievel and his friends team up with a reporter to chase after the scoop of the century and -- just maybe -- get a close-up look at the bad guy himself!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCinderella and the Secret Prince (2018)
Cinderella discovers a secret that could shake their world: an evil witch turned the prince into a mouse and replaced him with a look-alike. Cinderella and her friends must save the real prince and help him defeat the evil witch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOnce Upon a Forest (1993)
A young mouse, mole and hedgehog risk their lives to find a cure for their badger friend, who's been poisoned by men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Little Pony: The Movie (2017)
A new dark force threatens Ponyville, and the Mane 6 – Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity – embark on an unforgettable journey beyond Equestria where they meet new friends and exciting challenges on a quest to use the magic of friendship and save their home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)
The unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse traveling together in the boy's search for home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisTinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009)
A blue harvest moon will rise, allowing the fairies to use a precious moonstone to restore the Pixie Dust Tree, the source of all their magic. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Secret of NIMH (1982)
A widowed field mouse must move her family -- including an ailing son -- to escape a farmer's plow. Aided by a crow and a pack of superintelligent, escaped lab rats, the brave mother struggles to transplant her home to firmer ground.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Garfield Movie (2024)
Garfield, the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
Max the terrier must cope with some major life changes when his owner gets married and has a baby. When the family takes a trip to the countryside, nervous Max has numerous run-ins with canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey. Luckily for Max, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff farm dog who tries to cure the lovable pooch of his neuroses.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDragon Rider (2020)
An unlikely trio of heroes – a dragon, a boy and a forest brownie – embark on an epic adventure to find the “Rim of Heaven” - the mythological safe haven for all dragons.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Amazing Maurice (2022)
Maurice is a streetwise ginger cat who comes up with a money-making scam by befriending a group of self-taught talking rats. When Maurice and the rodents meet a bookworm called Malicia, their little con soon goes down the drain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDog Man (2025)
When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over. As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief, he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLegend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)
When a young owl is abducted by an evil Owl army, he must escape with new-found friends and seek the legendary Guardians to stop the menace.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fox and the Hound (1981)
When a feisty little fox named Tod is adopted into a farm family, he quickly becomes friends with a fun and adorable hound puppy named Copper. Life is full of hilarious adventures until Copper is expected to take on his role as a hunting dog -- and the object of his search is his best friend!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Rescuers (1977)
Two agents of the mouse-run International Rescue Aid Society search for a little orphan girl kidnapped by sinister treasure hunters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPAW Patrol: The Movie (2021)
Ryder and the pups are called to Adventure City to stop Mayor Humdinger from turning the bustling metropolis into a state of chaos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHitpig! (2024)
A porcine bounty hunter accepts his next hit: Pickles, a naive, ebullient elephant. Though he initially sets out to capture the perky pachyderm, the unlikely pair find themselves crisscrossing the globe on an adventure that brings out the best in both of them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018)
Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang meet up with Batman and other friends to defeat evil villains and save the day.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJustin and the Knights of Valour (2013)
A heart-warming tale about friendship, honor & courage, which sees a young boy become a man as he embarks on a quest to become a knight.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisTom and Jerry: The Movie (1992)
The popular cartoon cat and mouse are thrown into a feature film. The story has the twosome trying to help an orphan girl who is being berated and exploited by a greedy guardian.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStrange World (2022)
A journey deep into an uncharted and treacherous land, where fantastical creatures await the legendary Clades—a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest, and by far most crucial, mission.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarmaduke (2022)
Great Dane Marmaduke epitomizes the overgrown lapdog, with an irascible streak and a penchant for mischief that is tempered with a deep sense of love and responsibility for his human family, the Winslows. The new animation is set in the world of elite dog shows, rife divas, rivalries and slapstick comedy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisToy Story 4 (2019)
Woody has always been confident about his place in the world, devoted to taking care of his kid—whether that's Andy or Bonnie. But after Bonnie creates a reluctant new toy called "Forky", a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends challenges everything Woody believes about loyalty, purpose, and what it truly means to be a toy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTangled (2010)
Feisty teenager Rapunzel, who has long and magical hair, wants to go and see sky lanterns on her eighteenth birthday, but she's bound to a tower by her overprotective mother. She strikes a deal with Flynn Rider, a charming wanted thief, and the duo set off on an action-packed escapade.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisForgotten Island (2026)
While celebrating their last night together, high school graduates and best friends Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa must race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisWho's Afraid of Slavko? (2025)
During the student blockades in Serbia in 2025, the Faculty of Dramatic Arts' beloved cat, Slavko, gets hungry and eats the building of the corrupted state-owned public radio and television broadcaster of Serbia, RTS (Radio Television of Serbia).
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Zan Orangutan (TBA)
The year is 2030 and Zan is believed to be the last living Orangutan. His "human parents" have been tasked to save the species using Zan's DNA, however they have only managed to produce a Simian Translator that allows Zan to talk to humans and more. Zan sings and dances.... making him a global superstar through his hit song "Lil' Bit Crazy". Zan's life gets even "crazier" when he is kidnapped , falls from a plane and is trapped in a jungle... where he soon discovers that he is not so special after all... as there are a few living Orangutans who believe that he is the "Awaited One" to save them from the evil Komodo Dragon, Naga. As a total misfit with an unfit body, the pampered Zan has to learn to become a true Orangutan fast... to survive in a jungle full of predators.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
Minions & Monsters (2021)
Laundry day goes cosplay when a Minion noob gets a seat at the table of some pro-role-playing gamers. Starting as a punching bag for monsters and punchline for peers, his perseverance unlocks bardacious skills just in time to save the day.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
The Book of the Dun Cow (TBA)
A rooster named Chauntecleer must unite the animals to fight an ancient evil, Wyrm, that is breaking free from its prison beneath the earth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
The Other Me (2000)
When Will Browning is threatened with military summer school if he doesn't get better grades, he decides to do a science project that will definitely get an A. So he buys some Ocean Pups, unhatched sea creatures that will look spectacular, but he hasn't bargained for the cloning agent that the unscrupulous manufacturers have put in the kit. Next thing he knows there's another him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Tale of Despereaux?
The closest matches to The Tale of Despereaux are An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999), Cinderella and the Secret Prince (2018) and Once Upon a Forest (1993). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Tale of Despereaux?
Start with An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999), the closest match to The Tale of Despereaux.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Tale of Despereaux?
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022), rated 8.2/10 by 789 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Tale of Despereaux?
Forgotten Island (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Tale of Despereaux?
Yes: An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999), Cinderella and the Secret Prince (2018) and Once Upon a Forest (1993).
How are movies similar to The Tale of Despereaux chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Tale of Despereaux, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.