Bluey fans, get ready: the Heelers are jumping to the big screen! BBC Studios and The Walt Disney Company have announced Bluey: The Movie, set for a worldwide theatrical release in August 2027, with a Disney+ debut to follow. Since 2018, Bluey—the Aussie hit about a blue heeler pup, her sister Bingo, and parents Bandit and Chilli—has been a global sensation, dominating streaming charts in 2024 and snagging Emmys and BAFTAs for its sharp, family-friendly humor. But with Disney’s shaky history of animated features and their relentless push to cram progressive messaging into everything, this could be a rough ride.
Bluey creator Joe Brumm is writing and directing, with Richard Jeffery co-directing and Amber Naismith (Happy Feet, The Lego Movie) producing. The voice cast—Melanie Zanetti as Chilli, David McCormack as Bandit—is back, with J-etf Bush on music. Executive producers Charlie Aspinwall, Daley Pearson, and Justine Flynn are keeping it in the Bluey family, and Disney’s David Greenbaum is steering the project. The move to CG animation aims to give the Heelers a cinematic flair, and Brumm’s jazzed about tackling a feature after enjoying the longer format of Season 3’s “The Sign,” a 28-minute episode that sparked major buzz. He’s promising a “fun-filled adventure” for families.
But let’s cut to the chase—Disney’s animated films have been crashing and burning lately, and their obsession with progressive agendas is a big reason why. Strange World (2022) tanked with $73.6 million against a $180 million budget, largely because its openly gay lead didn’t resonate with mainstream audiences, on top of a weak story and poor marketing. Lightyear (2022) limped to $226 million on a $200 million budget, with its same-sex story arc turning off viewers and a plot that felt like a Toy Story reject. Compare that to The Lion King (1994), which raked in $968 million on a $45 million budget, and Disney’s fall from grace is obvious. TV-to-movie transitions are no guarantee either. The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002) made $16.4 million on an $11 million budget but flopped after marketing costs. Hey Arnold!: The Movie (2002) grossed $13.7–15.2 million on a $3 million budget—fine, but no box office king. Bluey’s got a massive fanbase, but stretching its seven-minute charm to feature length is a gamble.
Disney’s agenda is the real problem. In March 2022, leaked videos from a Disney staff meeting showed executive producer Latoya Raveneau boasting about her “not-at-all-secret gay agenda” for Disney Television Animation, with other execs cheering the push to stuff LGBTQ+ content into every show. This isn’t speculation—it’s straight from their mouths. Bluey’s Season 3 finale, “The Sign,” stirred up trouble when Pretzel mentioned “my mums,” hinting at lesbian parents. The official Bluey wiki on Fandom.com notes: “In The Sign, Pretzel makes references to ‘[his] mums’, which suggests that his parents are a same-sex couple.” A year later, Disney and Ludo Studio haven’t clarified if it’s “mums” or just Aussie slang for “mom.” The silence has fans split—some praise the diversity, while others, like The Daily Wire’s Megan Basham, blast Disney for slipping progressive talking points into Bluey’s wholesome world.
Brumm’s love for “The Sign” as a long-form storytelling win is a red flag. That episode didn’t just stretch the format—it’s where the “mums” controversy blew up. If Brumm’s using it as a blueprint for the movie, will Disney and Ludo Studio lean harder into their agenda? Bluey’s built a huge following of kids and parents who love its universal, no-preach appeal. But Disney’s track record shows they can’t help themselves, even when audiences push back. A recent Variety report says Disney’s now desperate to win back Gen Z male viewers, admitting their Marvel and Lucasfilm franchises—once male-driven juggernauts—are bleeding fans. They’re hunting for original IP to lure guys back, with David Greenbaum leading the charge. But after years of alienating mainstream audiences with heavy-handed messaging, it’s hard to believe they’ll pivot to something Bluey’s fans actually want.
Circle August 2027 on your calendars. Brumm’s talent and Bluey’s charm could make this a hit, but if Disney keeps shoving their agenda down our throats, Bluey: The Movie might end up another woke disaster, leaving fans wishing the Heelers stayed on TV.
James Carrick
James Carrick is a passionate film enthusiast with a degree in theater and philosophy. James approaches dramatic criticism from a philosophic foundation grounded in aesthetics and ethics, offering insight and analysis that reveals layers of cinematic narrative with a touch of irreverence and a dash of snark.
One comment
Sweet Deals
December 6, 2025 at 10:34 pm
I watched “Bluey’s Big Play” online. It was a stage production of an original Bluey story where Bluey, Bingo and Chili work together to keep Bandit from spending the whole weekend on his phone so he will play with them instead. It ran for over forty minutes. It’s a goofy little story with lots of familiar elements from the cartoon that fans would recognize and cheer. However, it also had a very significant theme about the importance of being a good older sister. When I listened to Chili explain to Bluey about what happens when your sister is on your side compared to when she’s upset with you, I was moved to tears. And I have to say that my heart has hardened so much over the years that almost nothing moves me to tears anymore.
I don’t care what most fans and commentators say because they’re often in the business of hearsay and manipulating things to fit their own views of the world. As of now I can only be cautiously optimistic that the people who create Bluey cartoons are relatively independent and that Disney is only their distributor, so I trust that with their track record, they’ll tell a good story that won’t contain any unnecessary or shocking elements.