Movies like The Ugly Duckling (1996)
The best movies like The Ugly Duckling (1996) are Ploey: You Never Fly Alone (2018), Snoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026) and Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be (2022). If The Ugly Duckling hooked you with its animation and family, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedChickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)7.2/10 from 299 votes
- NewestSnoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026)Released 2026
- In FrenchLittle Nicholas: Happy as Can Be (2022)Also in French
Ploey: You Never Fly Alone (2018)
A plover chick has not learned to fly when his family migrates in the fall. He must survive the arctic winter, vicious enemies and himself in order to be reunited with his beloved one next spring.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026)
When Snoopy's beloved doghouse goes missing, he tries to track it down, and learns what makes a house feel like home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLittle Nicholas: Happy as Can Be (2022)
Somewhere between Montmartre and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Jean-Jacques Sempé and René Goscinny lean over a large white sheet of paper and bring to life a mischievous and endearing boy, Little Nicolas. From schoolyard games and fights to summer camp pranks and camaraderie, Nicolas lives a merry and enriching childhood – and brings friendship and newfound life to his creators, too.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)
A royal relative steals a gem with the power to make things fly, the Paw Patrol takes to the skies to stop him and save Barkingburg.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEleanor's Secret (2009)
Natanaël, seven, still doesn't know how to read. His eccentric old aunt bequeaths her house to his parents and her book collection to the young boy. Nat discovers that the books serve as a shelter for all the heroes found in children's literature. They are the original characters and are counting on him for protection. For if they leave the library, they will disappear along with their stories forever! When his parents start selling off the books, Nathanaël, who is shrunk by the evil witch Carabosse, braves everything to save his tiny friends
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCat Pack: A PAW Patrol Exclusive Event (2022)
When Mayor Humdinger transforms his robot cat Meow-Meow into a tiger-sized metal-eating menace, the PAW Patrol calls in the Cat Pack for help in the stopping the creature.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAngela's Christmas Wish (2020)
A determined Angela makes a wish to reunite her family in time for Christmas, then launches a plan to find her way from Ireland to Australia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (2000)
Based on the popular book by L. Frank Baum, the beloved author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, comes the incredible story of The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus. Many centuries ago, long before toys had even been invented, a baby abandoned at the edge of an enchanted forest was adopted and raised by a beautiful wood nymph, thus beginning the life story of Santa Claus. From his first truly magical childhood through the discovery of his life's work of making children happy, discover the origin of every tradition surrounding Santa Claus, from toys, stockings and lighted trees to reindeer and sleigh. Journey back to a time of magic and wonder, and experience this heartwarming tale that will bring joy each holiday season.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShooom's Odyssey (2019)
Shooom, a baby owl, hatches just as a storm turns the bayou surrounding her tree upside down. No sooner has she fallen from her nest, then the little fledgling totters off into the mangrove, pushing a second egg from the brood along with her. Come hell or high water, she’s determined to find a mother… even if that mom turns out to be an alligator or a raccoon!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLOL Surprise: The Movie (2021)
Dazzling doll sisters Queen Bee and Royal Bee make their first movie with help from their fashionable friends in this one-of-a-kind magical adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurious George 2: Follow That Monkey! (2009)
The film chronicles George's adventures as he befriends Kayla, a baby elephant, at a magic circus show and helps her travel across the country to be reunited with her family.Accompanied by his friend, the Man with the Yellow Hat, George travels by foot, train, and truck to reach Kayla's brother and sister in California, only to be accused of elephant-napping and brought all the way back to New York.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWinnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You (1999)
After Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit see Christopher Robin making a valentine for -- gasp! -- a girl, they find he's been bitten by a "Smitten" and is lovesick! Worried that he'll no longer have time for them, and hoping a second bite from the love bug will cure him, they set out on a wild adventure to capture the Smitten. This wonderful story, filled with magic and whimsy, and sweetened with three new songs, reminds us all that the heart is big and always has plenty of room for friends -- old and new.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLucky Luke: The Ballad of the Daltons (1978)
The Dalton brothers are to receive their dead uncle's fortune if they eliminate the judge and jury responsible for his execution. And to accomplish this task, they must enlist the help of Lucky Luke.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011)
Po and the Furious Five uncover the legend of three of kung fu's greatest heroes: Master Thundering Rhino, Master Storming Ox, and Master Croc.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & the Island of Misfit Toys (2001)
When the mysterious Toy Taker grabs all of Santa's toys, it looks like the children will miss out on Christmas. But everyone's favorite reindeer, Rudolph, comes to the rescue with his lovable friends: Hermey the elf, Yukon Cornelius the grizzly prospector, the abominable snow monster Bumbles and Rudolph's very special friend Clarice. Together, they promise Santa they'll track down Toy Taker and rescue Santa's toy. Their incredible quest takes them on a wild adventure with Rudolph's red nose leading the way!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisChickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)
A brave young animal explorer teams up with two trusty friends to find a powerful artifact before his greedy uncle can get his paws on it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll (2016)
As Po looks for his lost action figures, the story of how the panda inadvertently helped create the Furious Five is told.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Monkey's Tale (1999)
Kom is from a tribe of monkeys who live in a canopy. He rejects elders' authority as well as the superstition that the lower world would be inhabited by demons. But he accidentally falls from the trees…
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie (2005)
It's Halloween in the Hundred Acre Wood, and Roo's best new friend, Lumpy, is looking forward to his first time trick-or-treating. That is, until Tigger warns them about the scary Gobloon, who'll turn them into jack-o'-lanterns if he catches them. But if Roo and Lumpy turn the tables on the Gobloon, they get to make a wish! Lumpy and Roo decide to be "brave together, brave forever" and catch the Gobloon so they can make their wishes come true.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Nutcracker Prince (1990)
After young Clara receives a wooden nutcracker as a Christmas gift, she dreams about a fantastical battle between her Nutcracker Prince and the evil Mouse King. At stake is the Nutcracker's freedom - and Clara's future happiness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Ugly Duckling?
The closest matches to The Ugly Duckling are Ploey: You Never Fly Alone (2018), Snoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026) and Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be (2022). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Ugly Duckling?
Start with Ploey: You Never Fly Alone (2018), the closest match to The Ugly Duckling.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Ugly Duckling?
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022), rated 7.2/10 by 299 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Ugly Duckling?
Snoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like The Ugly Duckling?
Yes: Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be (2022), Eleanor's Secret (2009) and Shooom's Odyssey (2019).
How are movies similar to The Ugly Duckling chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Ugly Duckling, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.