‘Bluey’ Movie Reveals First Look at D23 With New 3D Animation Style

Australia’s most famous Blue Heeler is officially heading into a new dimension.

Disney has unveiled the first footage from The Bluey Movie at D23, offering audiences their first look at the Brisbane-born phenomenon’s transition from its familiar 2D television animation to a new 3D CG style for the big screen.

The brief teaser features sisters Bluey and Bingo playing a game of Keepy Uppy with a balloon — a familiar pastime for fans of the series — but it was the characters’ dramatically updated appearance that immediately attracted attention.

Rather than recreating the simple 2D aesthetic that has defined Bluey since its 2018 debut, the feature film renders the Heelers and their world in three dimensions, complete with added depth, texture and detail.

Reaction to the change has already been divided, with some fans questioning the decision to depart from the television series’ distinctive visual identity while others have embraced the more cinematic interpretation.

Despite its Hollywood-scale release, however, The Bluey Movie remains firmly connected to its Australian origins.

Brisbane-based Cosmic Dino Studio is providing CG animation services for the feature, while Bluey creator Joe Brumm returns to write and direct. Richard Jeffery, who directed acclaimed episodes including “Sleepytime” and “The Sign,” serves as co-director, with Amber Naismith producing.

The film is a collaboration between Disney, BBC Studios and Brisbane-based Ludo Studio, the Australian production company behind the original television series.

David McCormack and Melanie Zanetti will also return as the voices of Bluey’s parents Bandit and Chilli.

The move to cinemas represents another major step in the extraordinary international growth of a series that began in Brisbane and has since become one of Australia’s most successful cultural exports.

The television series has developed a massive global following while retaining an unmistakably Australian identity, from its Queensland locations and accents to its depiction of suburban family life.

Disney will handle the film’s worldwide theatrical distribution, with the movie scheduled to arrive in cinemas on Aug. 6, 2027. Following its theatrical run, the film will stream on Disney+ internationally, while Australian audiences will also be able to watch it through ABC platforms.

For a character who began life in seven-minute episodes made in Brisbane, the D23 reveal offers the clearest indication yet of just how big Bluey is about to become.

The Bluey Movie arrives in Australian cinemas Aug. 6, 2027.