Dreamworks Animation, the celebrated animation studio behind beloved films like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon, has set a release date of August 1st, 2025 for the hotly anticipated sequel to their 2022 hit film THE BAD GUYS.
Following a Netflix holiday special, this theatrical follow-up will see the return of the fan-favorite pack of reformed villainous animals, including Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Ms. Tarantula, Mr. Shark, and Mr. Piranha.
Unlike the Netflix special which featured a different voice cast, THE BAD GUYS 2 will see the return of the principal stars like Sam Rockwell as the quick-witted leader Mr. Wolf, Marc Maron as the dry-humored Mr. Snake, Anthony Ramos as the spirited Mr. Piranha, Craig Robinson as the lovable Mr. Shark, and Awkwafina as the tech-savvy spider Ms. Tarantula.
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Also returning are THE BAD GUYS favorites like Zazie Beetz as guinea pig activist Diana Foxington, Richard Ayoade as the arrogant Professor Marmalade, Alex Borstein as the determined Police Chief Misty Luggins, and Lilly Singh as the fame-seeking newscaster Tiffany Fluffit.
Dreamworks has tapped Pierre Perifel to return as director, gaining a co-director this time in JP Sans, who served as Head of Character Animation on the first BAD GUYS film. This ensures visual consistency with the well-received animation style of the original.
The studio clearly hopes to replicate the surprise box office success of THE BAD GUYS, which grossed $250 million globally against a budget of $60-80 million. Among 2022’s animated releases, it placed fifth in worldwide box office behind another Dreamworks/Universal smash hit, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU.
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For the uninitiated, THE BAD GUYS follows a crack team of criminal animals including Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Mr. Piranha and Ms. Tarantula, who embark on their most challenging con yet – becoming model citizens. But with a lifetime of bad behavior under their belts, can this gang of lifelong outlaws really go good?
The BAD GUYS franchise is inspired by Australian author and illustrator Aaron Blabey’s popular children’s graphic novel series of the same name. Blabey has written and illustrated 18 volumes so far, with the 19th installment THE BAD GUYS: EPISODE 19: THE SERPENT AND THE BEAST set for release on July 2nd, 2024. This ensures there will be no shortage of source material for the pack of reformed baddies to get up to in future sequels.
For Dreamworks, THE BAD GUYS 2 represents a chance to build on the momentum of a surprise franchise-in-the-making. Under the leadership of Margie Cohn, Head of Animated Film at Dreamworks, the studio has been expanding beyond established brands like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. The summer 2025 release date shows their confidence that the criminal crew of THE BAD GUYS still has more hijinks up their furry sleeves.
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