Princess Announcements for the New Year

The holiday season is upon us, which means it's almost time to start a new year filled with new princess content. Within the past few weeks, there has been a slew of announcements regarding upcoming princess properties, and very few of these came from Disney. Netflix is currently the best place for original animated content. They have at least two new animated princess movies coming out in 2026. On the gamer front, a trailer was recently released for a tie-in video game of the new Winx Club reboot. The upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie has also been confirmed to introduce a popular princess from the franchise who has yet to make her theatrical debut. Let's dive into a new year of princesses.


Last week, Netflix released the first screenshot from Steps, a fractured retelling of "Cinderella" focusing on one of the ugly stepsisters. Although a similar made-for-TV movie came out in 2002 based on the Gregory Maguire novel, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, this adaptation stands apart by being an animated comedy. The story seems to have more of a focus on family than romance, forming an unlikely duo between Cinderella and her stepsister, Lilith, to recover a stolen wand and save the kingdom. No release date has been announced for this movie apart from 2026, so keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming trailer and more specific release details.


Also coming to Netflix next year is Cosmic Princess Kaguya, an anime movie that tells the classic tale of Princess Kaguya with a modern twist. The virtual reality musical format of the show is reminiscent of 2022's Belle with a hyperactive lead. This movie has a shorter wait than Steps and is set for release on January 22nd. It's hard to tell much about the movie from the trailer, but it looks like it's about a girl who is obsessed with Princess Kaguya and wants to share her story with the world through an online virtual platform.


Girl gamers rejoice! There is a dire need for video games where you can play as a fairy, and the upcoming console game inspired by Winx Club: The Magic Is Back is here to serve that need. Coming next April, this game will allow you to play as your favorite Winx fairy, take on the Trix, and even have a friend tag along in co-op mode. Most of the previous games for this franchise were made for handheld consoles, so it's long overdue for a release on the big screen to properly explore the realm of Magix and Alfea on a larger scale.

Also coming in April is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the sequel to 2023's hit Super Mario Bros, which introduced Princess Peach to the big screen. This movie features a new princess from the franchise, and it's not Daisy. Princess Rosalina, a newer but beloved character in the Mushroom Kingdom, makes her theatrical debut in this movie. Presented as a motherly figure to the Lumas, Rosalina has her own unique lore and character design that makes her stand apart from Peach and Daisy. This movie will shine the spotlight on her and present her story from a fresh perspective.

That's it for other studios in 2026. Meanwhile, Disney is still hard at work rehashing their former classics as live-action remakes. Moana is set to release on July 10, 2026, and the mouse house is allegedly in the process of casting Rapunzel and Eugene for their upcoming remake of Tangled. Personally, I'm a lot more excited about these upcoming animated projects from other studios than more Disney rehashes. Which princess property are you most excited to see next year? Let me know in the comments below!

I have always dreamed of being a writer and creating the next great fairy tale princess heroine. Princesses inspire us to be our best selves. While you're here, feel free to follow my page on Facebook, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and check out my books. I'm also on Instagram and Twitter.

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