Why 'GOAT' Is The Animated Movie Everyone’s Talking About!

Sony Pictures Animation’s GOAT has quietly become one of the most talked-about films at the box office right now, and for a movie that doesn’t have an existing franchise or sequel behind it, that feels like a pretty big deal. It opened wide on February 13, 2026, alongside "Wuthering Heights" and Crime 101, and still managed to pull in strong ticket sales, holding a solid second-place box office position during President’s Day weekend. That’s notable for an original animated story in a landscape where sequels usually dominate.

On opening weekend, GOAT brought in about $27.2 million domestically, and over the 4-day holiday, it climbed toward $35 million in North America, finishing second behind "Wuthering Heights". It’s now earned around $55.7 million worldwide, with over $39 million coming from U.S. theaters so far.

So why are people paying attention? On the surface, it’s a pretty classic underdog sports story wrapped in animation. The film follows a little goat named Will Harris who dreams of becoming a pro player in a fictional sport called roarball, a high-intensity version of basketball, despite everyone doubting he’s big enough to make the cut.

Part of the buzz comes from the voice cast and production team. The cast mixes up big names and unexpected faces -- Caleb McLaughlin as Will, plus Gabrielle Union, David Harbour, Nicola Coughlan, and even NBA star Stephen Curry voicing one of Will’s teammates and helping produce through his Unanimous Media label. That blend gives the film both kid appeal and something for older viewers to latch onto.

What makes this situation interesting is how rare original animated films without franchise backing are able to break through at the box office these days. Big studios have leaned heavily on sequels, prequels, and established universes because those almost always deliver more predictable financial returns; that’s why movies like Frozen sequels and Zootopia 2 wind up dominating release calendars. Even international markets usually favor familiar titles.

But GOAT isn’t just holding its own. It’s showing that audiences will still show up for something new and unconnected to existing properties, especially when it’s animated and geared toward families. Its CinemaScore and audience buzz point to positive word-of-mouth that could keep its legs strong in theaters, especially in markets where competition for family films isn’t as crowded.

Right now, the movie hasn’t hit streaming yet (it’s expected to arrive on rental platforms like Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV later this spring, and possibly subscription services a few months after that). But that means GOAT currently lives and dies by box office and theatre-going buzz, and so far it’s making a case for itself.

There’s no denying GOAT is a rare spring success story for original animation. Its performance suggests audiences are still open to expansive, imaginative animated movies that don’t have a built-in franchise, and that could help open the door for other new animated worlds to take their shot at the big screen.