Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie
Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie is a 2025 American live-action/animated musical fantasy movie based on the popular preschool series Gabby's Dollhouse by Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is directed by Ryan Crego (in his feature directorial debut at DreamWorks) and produced by Steven Schweickart.
Principal photography for the movie started in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 10, 2024 and ended on September 19. The animation for the movie was provided by Assemblage Entertainment in India.
Plot
Gabby, Pandy Paws, and her Gabby cats with her dollhouse go on a road trip with her grandmother Gigi to visit her home to work on a special project Gigi has been working on. As they arrive in Cat Francisco, CatRat, one of the Gabby cats, accidentally unlatches the dollhouse from the van, causing it to roll into a store where a cat lady named Vera spots it, buys the dollhouse, and drives to her home. Back at home, Vera splits the Gabby cats up. CatRat explores the drawer where he finds a plush cat named Chumsley.
Meanwhile, Gabby, determined to save her dollhouse, turns small, along with Pandy and is sent to Vera's home where the dollhouse is. Gabby finds out the Gabby cats are missing, but CatRat, and meets Chumsley, who is playing around at Cakey's kitchen. Gabby orders CatRat to stay in case the Gabby cats return while Chumsley suggest that he can help with Gabby as well. Gabby and Pandy find MerCat in Vera's aquarium and jump into it where they are turned into mermaids. They find MerCat interacting with the aquarium's sea life and they help free her out as they travel in a bubble. As they find the Gabby cats in the bag, Vera opens the door, causing the three to fly outside in which their bubble pops, making the three fall into a bush in Vera's garden. The three meet the kitty gnomes, who take them to the Kitty Fairy, who is hailed as their queen.
At the kitty gnomes' hideout, they trick the kitty gnomes into playing a game of hide and seek, while they build a bird-like vehicle to escape. The Kitty Fairy relinquishes her title of the queen, and she heads back to the dollhouse with MerCat. Meanwhile, Gabby and Pandy try to free the rest of the Gabby cats, while Vera is distracted by Kitty Rangers. Gabby saves the rest of the Gabby cats as they head back to the dollhouse. There, Chumsley shares his story of how a young Vera used to play with him, but got older over time and left him in her drawer. Gabby, Pandy, and the Gabby cats are cast out, while Chumsley seals the windows, stealing ownership of the dollhouse. Pandy heads to grab Gigi.
CatRat unlocks the door and the team enter the dollhouse to stop Chumsley. As Gabby is about to pinch her cat ears, Chumsley steals them, causing the dollhouse to corrupt. As Gabby tearfully tells Baby Box she's scared of growing up, the latter comforts her, giving her cat ears back. Carlita returns with a smaller Gigi. Gabby reunites with her and tells her about what happened.
Meanwhile, Chumsley makes a cake with every ingredient they can find, accidentally creating a portal. Gabby becomes big again, intervening Vera from trying to relax. Gabby and Vera turn small, where Vera meets Gigi and the Gabby cats. The two enter Cakey's kitchen, finding the portal, which sucks Gabby, Vera, Cakey, and Chumsley into a world made out of sweets.
Gabby, Vera, and Cakey spot Chumsley's paw prints, and ride cookies shaped like animals to catch up with Chumsley. Suddenly, gummy worms erupt from the candy grounds, carrying the three, and he manages to get away. The ground breaks down, causing the three to fall into a river, in which they float on a donut. As Vera talks about growing up, a friendly cookie monster named Cookie Bobby throws them away to safety, while Chumsley crosses a rickety bridge made with sweets. Before Vera is able to reconcile with Chumsley, he destroys the bridge.
The magic from the dollhouse begins fading away, causing the world to start collapsing. Vera and Chumsley save each other and reconcile, while everyone manages to make it back to the dollhouse. Its magic is restored and a balloon shaped like a cat inflates from the dollhouse, lifting it up as it flies over Cat Francisco. Back in Gigi's home, Gabby helps build the special project Gigi has been working on: a dog-themed dollhouse for Gabby's sister.
During the credits, Vera and they Kitty Rangers were playing together with Chumsley while the Kitty Gnome finished counting before realizing that he was alone.
Reception
Critical response
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie is a purr-fectly cat-tastic introduction to movies for preschoolers, expanding the colorful and imaginative world of the hit series."[1]