Following the global success of its Spider-Verse movies and KPop: Demon Hunters, Sony Pictures Animation continues to rewrite the rules for ‘toons and serves up another imaginative and game-changing winner with GOAT, a fun and visually stunning animated feature about a goat with an impossible dream of joining the big leagues of Roarball, a co-ed sport for big animals of all types who wipe the floor with the competition in every way imaginable. Considering four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry is one of the producers here it doesn’t take much of a leap to see this is a basketball-inspired comedy albeit with an all-animal cast of characters instead of hoops superstars ala Space Jam. Coming on the heels of the worldwide record-breaking run of Zootopia 2, the timing could not be better for another creature feature that ought to have audiences of all ages leading the cheers.

Will Harris (voiced by Caleb McLaughlin) has been loaded with big ambitions ever since he was a baby goat but is living in an animal world that divides the “bigs” and the “smalls” in terms of ballers, and to those who aspire to acceptance in the game that makes stars out of leopards, polar bears, giraffes, komodo dragons, rhinos and more it is a dream deferred. Will’s mom always encouraged him to follow his heart, but he just can’t get traction as the story jumps 10 years and we can see he has the goat-given talent to succeed in the game, just not the opportunities. But no one in charge is taking him seriously, most of all the superstar of the Vineland Thorns team he hopes to make. That would be the queen bee, actually leopard, named Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union), who has achieved every feat except a true championship in her storied career, the much desired CLAW (think championship ring), but turns up her nose at the thought of having to play with this inferior little goat.

Will is out to prove his worth and actually takes on Jett in a one-on-one audition to show he can do anything she can — and better. Called upon to show his stuff in the wackiest of Roarball feats that involved otherworldly talents, he does indeed prove himself, becoming an unlikely addition to the roster who as a true underdog is able to bring the crowd to his side and, in the eyes of the duplicitous team owner Flo Emerson (Jenifer Lewis), some money. But how is he gonna fit in with this team that not only is headed by the egotistical Jett but also an eccentric Komodo dragon named Modo Olachenko (Nick Kroll), a girls dad rhino named Archie Everheart (David Harbour), MVP Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), the high-strung Ostrich Olivia Burke (Nicola Coughlan), the rapping tall giraffe Lenny (voiced by Curry), and the hapless largely ignored Coach Cooper (Patton Oswalt)?

This is all set in the fictional Roarball league built for the fastest, most imposing, biggest animals on the planet using two paws, four paws, long tongues, tails, claws, hooves and all else in between in this vicious contact sport that stretches beyond the field to dripping vines, ice sheets and other forms of nature put in their way of hitting 3-pointers. It is also a familiar world of fancy sneakers, hip hop music, lots of bling and other colorful additions to this particular universe.

Director Tyree Dillihay and co-director Adam Rosette have made sure the visual style is there to match the swag, and there are hints of CGI, 2D animation and anime influences during the genuinely exciting big-game sequences — with all kinds of innovations to make us feel we are right there on the court with this ragtag team aiming to finally win the big one that has always eluded Jett. The script credited to Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley (with story by Nicolas Curcio and Peter Chiarelli) is full of wit and heart, as well as authenticity for basketball fans who will recognize the territory, animated or not. The voice cast led by McLaughlin nails it as well and includes cameos from Jennifer Hudson to Jelly Roll.

Producers are Curry, Michelle Raimo Kouyate, Erick Peyton, Adam Rosenberg and Rodney Rothman.

Title: GOAT
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Release date: February 13, 2026
Director: Tyree Dillihay
Screenwriters: Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley; story by Nicolas Curcio and Peter Chiarelli
Cast: Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Nicola Coughlan, Nick Kroll, David Harbour, Stephen Curry, Aaron Pierre, Patton Oswalt, Jenifer Lewis, Jennifer Hudson, Jelly Roll, Ayesha Curry, Andrew Santino, Bobby Lee, Sherry Cola, Eduardo Franco
Rating: PG
Running time: 1 hr 40 mins