Fans are curious whether a sequel to 2017 Emoji – The Movie (Emoji – The Movie 2) could ever be released in theaters or anywhere else.

This 2017 animated film brought real-life emojis to life in the city of Textopolis, which resides inside a smartphone. While each emoji has a facial expression for life, TJ Miller’s Gene is a light-hearted and happy emoji with multiple expressions who is trying to become more “normal.”

Together with other emojis, he travels through apps and finally discovers a danger that could threaten their home as they know it.

How did The Emoji Movie perform after its release?

Emoji – The Movie debuted on July 28, 2017 and quickly became arguably the biggest flop of the year.

To date, it only has a 6% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the worst-performing films in the site’s history. Furthermore, its audience numbers haven’t been much higher, as it currently has an audience score of 36%.

From a CinemaScore perspective, it fared no better, receiving a B rating. This rating is determined by audience reactions immediately after they leave the theater, and while a B isn’t a complete flop, it doesn’t usually mean the film was a hit, either.

Interestingly, the film was an admirable success at the box office, grossing $217 million against a $50 million budget (according to Box Office Mojo).

While Emoji – The Movie Although the film was panned by critics, its box office success may have been reason enough for a possible sequel.

Will The Emoji Movie Ever Be Released?

Based on the reviews alone, it seems unlikely that Sony Pictures Animation will greenlight a second Emoji – The Movie for release after the first one was so disappointing.

Even in 2024, it still tops many “worst of” lists (see Collider) when it comes to the worst animated films of all time. Sony would understandably be hesitant to turn this film into a franchise, especially since there’s no guarantee that a second film would fare better than the original.

Moreover, emojis are far less of a new concept today than they were in 2017, when smartphones first became widely available to the public.

Bring a second Emoji – The Movie would have far less cultural impact today than it did seven years ago. Considering how much less marketable emojis are today, the concept probably wouldn’t impact viewers to the same extent.

Emoji – The Movie is streaming on Netflix.

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