The franchise has been wildly successful but is Alvin And The Chipmunks 5 likely to happen? The Fox movie franchise (now owned by Disney) is based on the iconic signing rodents; Alvin And The Chipmunks made their debut as the band behind the aptly named "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" way back in 1958. The group was the brainchild of singer/songwriter Ross Bagdasarian Sr, who acted as a manager for the virtual group, using the stage name Dave Seville. Bagdasarian sang all the songs himself with the pitch of his voice altered to achieve the chipmunk effect.

The Alvin And The Chipmunks group consists of Alvin himself - who is considered the bad boy of the band - Theodore and Simon. The popularity of the group led to albums, comic books, and animated TV shows. They finally reached the big screen in 2007's Alvin And The Chipmunks, with Jason Lee playing their manager Dave, Justin Long voicing Alvin, and David Cross as the Chipmunks' villain Ian Hawke. The critical reception was mostly negative, though both the movie and its soundtrack became big hits. Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel became an even bigger success in 2009, grossing nearly $450 million worldwide.

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The most recent entry was 2015's Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip, which grossed $235 million, but once again, faced a negative critical reaction. The movie was still a success, so is Alvin And The Chipmunks 5 likely to happen?

Is Alvin & the Chipmunks 5 Happening?

Alvin and the Chipmunks resized

Despite Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip's better reception in comparison to Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, the general audience's interest in the Chipmunks' adventures seems to have subsided. While other animated sequels like Trolls 3 have been announced, by early 2022, there have been no updates on a possible sequel, and the only major project involving Alvin, Simon, and Theodore in recent times has been the 3D-animated show Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks, which also includes the Chippettes, Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor.

Alvin And The Chipmunks 5: Release Date & Story Details

alvin and chipmunks cast

Alvin And The Chipmunks 5 doesn't currently have a release date or synopsis, and there's a chance The Road Chip might have been the last entry in the series. While the movies might never have been critical hits, they still have a large fanbase. Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip made money for pre-Disney Fox, but it also was the most expensive to make and grossed $100 million less than Alvin And Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. With profits decreasing and fans getting older and moving on to other things, the chances of Alvin And The Chipmunks 5 appear slim. But if a new Alvin and the Chipmunks were to be made soon, the earliest possible release date would fall around early 2023.

Disney Now Own The Alvin And The Chipmunks Movie Series

alvin and the chipmunks squealquel poster

Following a highly publicized merger, Disney now owns major Fox franchises like X-Men and Alien. This also includes the Alvin And The Chipmunks movie series. This makes Alvin And The Chipmunks 5 even less likely, and if Disney has any plans to continue the series, a total 2D or 3D-animated reboot a few years down the line is much more likely.

While there's always a chance Alvin And The Chipmunks 5 could press ahead, it appears the current incarnation of the live-action franchise is finished. It's too valuable a property to shelf permanently, but there's little sign of when the next entry will arrive.

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