Rising star Connor Esterson has landed one of the most recognizable roles in children’s entertainment, stepping in as the voice of JJ in Universal Pictures’ upcoming COCOMELON: THE MOVIE.
“I’ve been a COCOMELON fan since I was 5 years old, so getting the chance to voice JJ is really a dream come true,” Esterson said in a statement. “It’s such a full-circle moment for me, and I feel incredibly honored to help bring one of the world’s most recognizable children’s characters to the big screen for the very first time. I can’t wait for families to see the movie and experience JJ in a whole new way.”
Esterson is best known for playing Tony Tango-Torrez opposite Zachary Levi and Gina Rodriguez in the 2023 Netflix reboot SPY KIDS: ARMAGEDDON. That movie earned a +2 family content rating from Movieguide®, and the review praised its “wholesome depiction of a healthy nuclear family, a rare phenomenon in Hollywood movies these days.”
The SPY KIDS review did knock the script — Movieguide® called it “clunky and superficial” — but still landed firmly on the positive side, citing a strong redemptive message and an anti-authoritarian streak. The Robert Rodriguez-directed reboot streams on Netflix.
Now Esterson steps into a franchise that reaches more than 80 countries in 20-plus languages and pulls in billions of YouTube views. Universal has slated the theatrical spinoff for Feb. 19, 2027.
Related: Toddler Craze Coming to Theaters: Get Ready for the COCOMELON: THE MOVIE
Kat Good, a story artist on KUNG FU PANDA, is directing. Songwriter Justin Tranter — a Chappell Roan, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez collaborator — serves as executive music producer.
The young cast rounds out with Camden Brooks (SWAPPED) as Cody, Olivia London Leyva (LOPEZ VS. LOPEZ) as Nina and Aerina DeBoer (THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY) as CeCe. SZA, Ike Barinholtz, Nicholas Hoult, Sarah Sherman, Ego Nwodim, Josh Johnson, Matt Friend, Rhys Darby and Cristo Fernández will voice new characters created for the movie.
Plot details are under wraps. Universal promises an “epic adventure” that “invites families to go beyond the world of COCOMELON that they know, following JJ, his friends, and an exciting new cast of characters on a cinematic journey filled with original music and rich storytelling.”
For Christian families weighing whether to buy tickets, COCOMELON’s recent history has been a mixed bag. Movieguide®’s review of the show’s 13th season on Netflix awarded three out of four stars and a +1 family content rating, calling it a “pleasing change” after earlier seasons drew backlash for featuring a same-sex couple in the intro song and in the spinoff COCOMELON LANE.
“There are no questionable elements in this season, a pleasing change from previous seasons, which faced controversy for featuring a same-sex couple from the spin-off series COCOMELON LANE,” the Movieguide® review noted. Season 13 quietly dropped the two dads who had previously appeared, returning — at least for now — to the sing-along, family-friendly territory that made COCOMELON a global phenomenon in the first place.
Whether the theatrical outing continues that course correction or drifts back toward COCOMELON LANE territory is the question Christian parents will be watching for. As Movieguide® has previously noted, the completely song-driven format also poses a creative question: how does a series without strong episode arcs sustain a full-length plot?
COCOMELON: THE MOVIE is produced by Moonbug Entertainment, Flywheel Media, Prime Focus Studios and DreamWorks Animation, with animation by the DNEG Group. It hits theaters next February.
Read Next: COCOMELON Studio Says It’s Content Isn’t Addicting…Yeah, Right
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
