Stranger Issues Stars’ 2026 Film Reunion Debuts With Profitable Rotten Tomatoes Rating

Stranger Issues’ Caleb McLaughlin and David Harbour reunite in a brand new film that has doubtlessly simply begun its profitable streak.

Sony’s GOAT, directed by Tyree Dillihay, is a brand new animated comedy sports activities film set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, the place a small goat will get a once-in-a-lifetime probability to play the extraordinary sport of “roarball” with the professionals, the fiercest animals on this planet. With the film’s Rotten Tomatoes rating having been revealed, Sony seemingly has one other animated essential hit.

GOAT has debuted to a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 80% from 20 critiques to this point. ScreenRant‘s Gregory Nussen reviewed GOAT and identified its reliance on sports activities movie formulation, however in the end states: “A film that has no scarcity of pre-chewed clichés in all probability should not work, and but, it resoundingly does. […] a very efficient, stunningly animated, inspiring success.“

Alongside McLaughlin and Harbour, fellow Netflix star Nicola Coughlan additionally options in GOAT. That is each McLaughlin and Harbour’s first main undertaking because the finish of Stranger Issues, whereas Coughlan stars in Bridgerton season 4, which lately premiered on Netflix. GOAT‘s stars additionally embody Gabrielle Union, Nick Kroll, Stephen Curry, Jenifer Lewis, Patton Oswalt, Aaron Pierre, and Jennifer Hudson.

GOAT‘s studio, Sony Footage Animation, produced KPop Demon Hunters (distributed by Netflix, making for one more incidental connection between GOAT and the streamer) and the theatrically launched Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Throughout the Spider-Verse. The ultimate film within the trilogy, Spider-Man: Past the Spider-Verse, is predicted in 2027.

Along with the uplifting story, GOAT‘s critiques reward its visuals, indicating that this entry upholds the requirements of stylistic animation that audiences have come to anticipate from Sony productions. The corporate has firmly established itself as a producer of spectacular animated motion pictures in recent times, with the primary Spider-Verse profitable the Oscar for Greatest Animated Characteristic and KPop Demon Hunters anticipated to do the identical.

Now that GOAT has confirmed itself critically, will this translate to field workplace success? Deadline stories that GOAT is projected to have a $30 million opening, whereas its funds has not been revealed. Animated household motion pictures have been identified to gross greater than $1 billion since 2020, a notable instance being 2025’s Zootopia 2, which is considerably similar to GOAT due to its speaking animal forged.

However GOAT has to beat being an authentic animated undertaking. Pixar’s sequels have all executed very nicely in recent times, whereas its authentic animated characteristic Elio flopped, regardless of robust critiques. Moreover, most consultants agree that, regardless of the worldwide phenomenon that KPop Demon Hunters grew to become, sending it straight to streaming was the sensible enterprise alternative when it by no means would have been so successful for Sony if launched theatrically.

The critiques are a step in the precise course, however it stays to be seen what sort of industrial success this film might be.

GOAT will launch in theaters on February 13, 2026.