My Little Pony: The Movie

Twilight and her friends have to leave familiar places behind when the Storm King’s forces threaten Equestria. With Tempest Shadow on their trail, the six ponies look for help beyond home, meeting new creatures and facing problems they cannot solve on their own.

The 2017 animated musical is directed by Jayson Thiessen and brings back the Friendship Is Magic voice cast. Emily Blunt joins them as Tempest Shadow, Liev Schreiber as the Storm King, and Kristin Chenoweth as Princess Skystar. The journey gives Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity plenty to do alongside Twilight as they try to win over new allies.

If you are watching the series for the first time, save this movie until after season 7 and before season 8. You will already know the friends, and the places and creatures they meet will help the later episodes make sense. You can still follow the movie on its own, but knowing how the six ponies usually get along adds context to their disagreements.

Check the year when searching: this is the 2017 Twilight Sparkle movie. The 1986 film shares its title, while A New Generation (2021) introduces Sunny and a different group of friends.