Movies like Little Thunder (2009)
The best movies like Little Thunder (2009) are Once Upon a Studio (2023), Thru the Mirror (1936) and Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection (2015). If Little Thunder hooked you with its animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedOnce Upon a Studio (2023)8.3/10 from 457 votes
- NewestAmber Tale (2026)Released 2026
Once Upon a Studio (2023)
Created for Disney's 100th anniversary, the short features Mickey Mouse corralling a gallery of legendary Disney characters for a group photo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThru the Mirror (1936)
Mickey has been reading Alice in Wonderland, and falls asleep. He finds himself on the other side of the mirror, where the furniture is alive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWalt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection (2015)
INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING SHORTS: "John Henry," "Lorenzo," "The Little Matchgirl," "How To Hook Up Your Home Theater," "Tick Tock Tale," "Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa," "The Ballad Of Nessie," "Tangled Ever After," "Paperman," "Get A Horse!", "Feast," "Frozen Fever"
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPixar Short Films Collection: Volume 1 (2007)
Experience these masterpieces of storytelling from the creative minds that brought you Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and many more. With revolutionary animation, unforgettable music and characters you love, these dazzling short films have changed the face of animation and entertainment and are sure to delight people of all ages for years to come.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHow to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019)
It's been ten years since the dragons moved to the Hidden World, and even though Toothless doesn't live in New Berk anymore, Hiccup continues the holiday traditions he once shared with his best friend. But the Vikings of New Berk were beginning to forget about their friendship with dragons. Hiccup, Astrid, and Gobber know just what to do to keep the dragons in the villagers' hearts. And across the sea, the dragons have a plan of their own...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Little Matchgirl (2006)
An animated short based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale about a poor young girl with a burning desire to find comfort and happiness in her life. Desperate to keep warm, the girl lights the matches she sells, and envisions a very different life for herself in the fiery flames filled with images of loving relatives, bountiful food, and a place to call home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies 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
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (2008)
Ordered to teach a martial arts class of rambunctious bunny kittens, Po tells stories of each of the Furious Five's pasts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCars Toon Mater's Tall Tales (2008)
Mater the tow truck travels from country to country as he retells his infamous but unbelievable stories.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTerra das Canções de Ninar (1933)
A baby is transported to Lullaby Land, where pacifiers grow on trees, diapers, bottles, and potty chairs march on parade, and the gingham dog comes to life. He wanders into the "keep out" cave, full of things like scissors, knives, and fountain pens that are not for baby and begins smashing watches with hammers and playing with giant matches. The matches chase after him; baby escapes by riding a bar of soap across a pond, but the smoke from the matches turns into boogey-men. The benevolent sandman, dressed as a wizard, spots baby hiding and works his magic, bringing us back to the real nursery.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWinnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968)
Winnie the Pooh and his friends experience high winds, heavy rains, and a flood in Hundred Acre Wood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Radiator Springs 500½ (2014)
A 'leisurely drive' planned in honor of Radiator Springs’ town founder, Stanley, turns precarious as Baja pros descend on the town and challenge Lightning McQueen to an off-road race. Meanwhile, the townsfolk, led by a Stanley-costumed Mater, enjoy the planned 'leisurely drive' to retrace Stanley’s original frontier route. Thinking they’re on the same course, a wrong turn sends McQueen and the Baja pros on a treacherously wild bid for survival. The misunderstanding leaves the racing professionals in awe of the 'legend' of Stanley: the Original Off-Road Racer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Big Bad Wolf (1934)
The Big Bad Wolf torments Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFerdinand the Bull (1938)
This Oscar-winning short tells of a bull who preferred to sit under trees and smell flowers to clashing horns with his fellow animals. As luck would have it, an untimely bee reveals Ferdinand's ferocious side via pained howls and wild stomping. This lands him in the bull-fighting arena amidst characters based on Walt's animators with a matador reportedly modeled after Walt himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBabes in the Woods (1932)
Two Dutch children stumble on a clearing in the woods where gnomes are going about their business. The gnomes are friendly to the children. A witch comes and takes them away on her broom to her gingerbread house, where she turns nasty on them, turning the boy into a spider, her yowling cat to stone, and tries to turn the girl into a rat when a gnome's arrow stops her. While the gnomes are fighting the witch, Hansel and Gretl free the other children who have been imprisoned and transformed by the witch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Ugly Duckling (1939)
An outcast duckling's search for a family to accept him leads to constant rejection before learning his true identity as a swan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSanjay's Super Team (2015)
SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM follows the daydream of a young Indian boy, bored with his father's religious meditation, who imagines "a kind of ancient, Hindu version of The Avengers," with the gods appearing like superheros.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWelcome to the Club (2022)
Heart set on becoming a princess, Lisa Simpson is surprised to learn being bad might be more fun.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Emperor's New Groove (2000)
When the self‑absorbed Emperor Kuzco is accidentally transformed into a llama, he must rely on a humble villager to survive the jungle and reclaim his throne.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRarámuri pie ligero (1993)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent (2004)
When the fearsome Tugarin the Serpent steals the city's gold, the young hero Alyosha Popovich sets out on a daring quest to recover the treasure and bring the villain to justice. Along the way, he is joined by an unlikely group of companions: his loyal mentor Tikhon, a talking horse named Julius, the wise grandmother Babusya, a mischievous donkey, and the beautiful Lyubava. Together, they embark on an adventure filled with unexpected challenges, humor, and heroic deeds.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLautaro (1978)
The Mapuche tribe asks their Gods for help in difficult situations, including illness and drought. When the Spanish conquerers on their horses invade their country, the indigenous people think that they are aliens. The Spaniards capture and enslave many of the Mapuche tribe. Lautaro, a young captured native, realizes that these aliens are human beings without any divine power. He learns to use their weapons and organizes a resistance movement against the intruders.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Amber Tale (2026)
When fisherman Kastytis hauls in a fateful catch, he stirs the ire of the gods — yet destiny leads him to Jūratė, the sea goddess who loves him beyond divine law. Their forbidden bond awakens Thunder’s wrath, shattering her amber palace, but not their love - from its tears, Baltic amber is born.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Pokémon Heroes (2002)
Ash, Pikachu and the gang try and stop a pair of thieves hiding out in the canals and alleyways of Altomare, the age-old water capital. Joining the adventure are two new legendary Pokémon, a pair of siblings named Latias and Latios, who serve as peacekeepers and protectors of the Soul Dew — a priceless treasure with a mysterious power.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993)
While the Saiyan Paragus persuades Vegeta to rule a new planet, King Kai alerts Goku of the South Galaxy's destruction by an unknown Super Saiyan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHipster Headdress (2017)
An unapologetic confrontation of cultural appropriation and everything that’s wrong with hipsters in headdresses. The takeaway? Just don't do it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
The Mountain of SGaana (2017)
As a young fisherman cruises along a rugged shoreline, a tiny mouse in Haida regalia appears and starts to knit a blanket. A story unfolds on the blanket as it grows longer, illustrating the ancient tale of Haida master sea hunter Naa-Naa-Simgat and his beloved, Kuuga Kuns. When a SGaana (the Haida word for “killer whale”) captures the hunter and drags him down into a supernatural world, the courageous Kuuga Kuns sets off to save him. Will the lovers manage to escape the undersea Mountain of SGaana, or will they, too, become part of the Haida spirit world forever?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Totem Talk (1997)
Traditional Northwestern Indigenous spiritual images combined with cutting-edge computer animation in this surreal short film about the power of tradition. Three urban Indigenous teens are whisked away to an imaginary land by a magical raven, and there they encounter a totem pole. The totem pole's characters—a raven, a frog and a bear—come to life, becoming their teachers, guides and friends. Features a special interview with J. Bradley Hunt, the celebrated Heiltsuk artist on whose work the characters in Totem Talk are based.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Saq Nikté and the Spirit of the Mask (2025)
In a forgotten community, an artisan girl puts an old K'iche' invocation to the test and summons a curious spirit into our world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Little Thunder?
The closest matches to Little Thunder are Once Upon a Studio (2023), Thru the Mirror (1936) and Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Little Thunder?
Start with Once Upon a Studio (2023), the closest match to Little Thunder.
What is the highest-rated movie like Little Thunder?
Once Upon a Studio (2023), rated 8.3/10 by 457 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Little Thunder?
Amber Tale (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Little Thunder?
Yes: Once Upon a Studio (2023), Thru the Mirror (1936) and Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection (2015).
How are movies similar to Little Thunder chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Little Thunder, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.