The Bad Guys (franchise)

Last updated
The Bad Guys
The Bad Guys (film).svg
Created by Pierre Perifel
Original work The Bad Guys
Owners DreamWorks Animation
(Universal Pictures)
Years2022–present
Based on The Bad Guys
by Aaron Blabey
Films and television
Film(s) The Bad Guys
The Bad Guys 2
Short film(s)The Bad Guys in Maraschino Ruby
Television special(s) The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist
Audio
Soundtrack(s)The Bad Guys (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The Bad Guys is a media franchise made by DreamWorks Animation, loosely based on the children's book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey. The franchise began with the 2022 film The Bad Guys , and has since grown to include two holiday specials, which were released on Netflix in 2023 and 2024 respectively, and a sequel, The Bad Guys 2 , set for release on August 1, 2025.

Contents

Films

FilmRelease dateDirector(s)Screenwriter(s)StoryProducer(s)
The Bad Guys April 22, 2022 Pierre Perifel Etan Cohen Based on the books by: Aaron Blabey Damon Ross & Rebecca Huntley
The Bad Guys 2 August 1, 2025Pierre Perifel and JP SansTBADamon Ross

The Bad Guys (2022)

On July 22, 2017, Australia's The Daily Telegraph reported that several studios had expressed interest in adapting the series into a film. [1] In March 2018, Variety reported that DreamWorks Animation would develop a film based on the book series, with Etan Cohen writing the screenplay. [2] [3] [4] The following year, in October, it was reported that the film would be directed by Pierre Perifel in his feature directorial debut. [5] The film was described as having "a similar twist on the heist genre that Shrek did on fairy tales, Kung Fu Panda did for the kung fu genre and Trolls did for the musical numbers of the franchise." [5] The crew worked remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. [6]

On July 28, 2021, the cast was announced with Etan Cohen, Patrick Hughes, and author Aaron Blabey set to serve as executive producers for the film. [7]

On October 7, 2019, it was reported that the film would be theatrically released on September 17, 2021, taking over the release date of Spooky Jack. [5] In December 2020, the film was delayed with The Boss Baby: Family Business taking its original slot, though it was confirmed that it would get a new date "within the coming weeks" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] In March 2021, the release date was scheduled to April 15, 2022. [9] In October 2021, it was pushed back again by one week to April 22. [10] The film was slated to stream in the United States on the Peacock streaming service 45 days after its theatrical release, [11] followed by its Netflix debut after Peacock's 4-month exclusive window. [12] On March 1, 2022, Universal pulled the release in Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [13]

The Bad Guys 2 (2025)

In March 2022, a month before the film was released, Perifel said that he would love to do a sequel. [14] Two years later, DreamWorks Animation officially confirmed a sequel with a release date set for August 1, 2025. Perifel will return to direct and JP Sans, who served as head of character animation on the previous film, will co-direct, with the cast reprising their roles. [15] In addition, the film will also feature new characters played by Natasha Lyonne, Danielle Brooks and Maria Bakalova. [16]

Shorts

A CG sequel short based on the film, The Bad Guys in Maraschino Ruby, was announced in the Blu-ray and Digital release. It was written and directed by head of story Nelson Yokota, and produced by Angie Howard while executive produced by Pierre Perifel, Damon Ross, Rebecca Huntley, and Michael Vollman.

Specials

The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday (2023)

A holiday special, titled The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday , inspired by the characters from the film was being produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and will be directed by Bret Haaland from Fast & Furious Spy Racers and executive produced by Haaland and Katherina Nolfi from Abominable and the Invisible City and Spirit Riding Free . The holiday special premiered on November 30, 2023, on Netflix, [17] albeit none of the film's principal voice cast would be reprising their respective roles for the special.

The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist (2024)

On July 10, 2024, it was announced that a new Halloween special, titled The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist, inspired by the characters from the film was being produced by DreamWorks Animation Television, which premiered on Netflix on October 3, 2024.


Cast and characters

List indicators

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

CharactersFeature filmsShort filmTelevision specials
The Bad Guys The Bad Guys 2 The Bad Guys in Maraschino Ruby The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist
20222025202220232024
Mr. Wolf Sam Rockwell Michael Godere
Mr. Snake Marc Maron Chris Diamantopoulos
Mr. Shark Craig Robinson Ezekiel Ajeigbe
Mr. Piranha Anthony Ramos Raul Ceballos
Ms. Tarantula / "Webs" Awkwafina Mallory Low
Diane Foxington / The Crimson Paw Zazie Beetz
Professor Marmalade Richard Ayoade
Officer Misty Luggins Alex Borstein
Tiffany Fluffit Lilly Singh Zehra Fazal
Kitty Cat Danielle Brooks
Doom Natasha Lyonne
Pigtail Maria Bakalova
Officer BobOrlando Duenas
Phone OperatorAngie Howard
Gary Keith Silverstein
DJ Trudy Tude Kari Wahlgren
Reginald E. Scary Chris Diamantopoulos

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DreamWorks Animation</span> American animation studio

DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA) (also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios or simply DreamWorks) is an American animation studio owned by Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The studio has released a total of 49 feature films, including several of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, with Shrek 2 (2004) having been the highest at the time of its release. Its first film, Antz, was released on October 2, 1998, and its latest film, The Wild Robot, was released on September 27, 2024. They have an upcoming theatrical slate of films, which includes Dog Man on January 31, 2025, How to Train Your Dragon on June 13, 2025, The Bad Guys 2 on August 1, 2025, Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie on September 26, 2025, and Shrek 5 on July 1, 2026.

Aaron Blabey is an Australian author of children's books.

<i>The Croods</i> 2013 film by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders

The Croods is a 2013 American animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco, both of whom also wrote the screenplay and were credited with conceiving the story alongside John Cleese. The film stars the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman. The film is set in a fictional prehistoric Pliocene era known as "The Croodaceous" when Grug, patriarch of the Croods, is threatened by the arrival of a genius named Guy, who comes up with revolutionary new inventions as they trek through a dangerous but exotic land in search of a new home.

<i>Trolls</i> (film) 2016 film directed by Mike Mitchell

Trolls is a 2016 American animated jukebox musical comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox, based on the Good Luck Trolls dolls created by Thomas Dam. The film was directed by Mike Mitchell from a screenplay by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, based on a story by Erica Rivinoja. It stars the voices of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Russell Brand, James Corden and Gwen Stefani. The film follows two trolls named Poppy (Kendrick) and Branch (Timberlake) who go on a quest to save their village from destruction by the Bergens, giant creatures who eat Trolls to be happy.

<i>The Croods: A New Age</i> 2020 animated film directed by Joel Crawford

The Croods: A New Age is a 2020 American animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The sequel to The Croods (2013) as well as the second installment of The Croods franchise, it was directed by Joel Crawford from a screenplay by Paul Fisher, Bob Logan, and the writing team of Dan and Kevin Hageman, based on a story by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders. The film features the returning voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman. The film also makes new additions to the cast, including Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann, and Kelly Marie Tran. The film follows the Croods, Guy, and their pets Belt, Chunky, and Douglas as they discover an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of their needs. Unfortunately, they must also learn to live with the Bettermans, a family a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder.

The Croods is an American media franchise by DreamWorks Animation. The franchise began with the 2013 film The Croods, and has since grown to include a sequel, The Croods: A New Age; two television series, Dawn of the Croods and The Croods: Family Tree; and two video games. Set in the fictional prehistoric "Croodaceous" time period which is roamed by a series of bizarre hybrid animals, the franchise follows the eponymous cavepeople family as they travel through the dangerous but exotic lands in search of a new home after their previous home was destroyed.

<i>Spirit</i> (franchise) DreamWorks Animation media franchise

Spirit is an American media franchise owned by DreamWorks Animation, which began with the 2002 animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron written by John Fusco from an idea by producer Jeffrey Katzenberg. The franchise follows the adventures of a Kiger Mustang stallion named Spirit and his same named descendants.

<i>The Bad Guys</i> (film) 2022 film by Pierre Perifel

The Bad Guys is a 2022 American animated heist comedy film based on the children's book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey, produced by DreamWorks Animation Studios and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was directed by Pierre Perifel from a screenplay by Etan Cohen, and stars the voices of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, and Lilly Singh. It tells the story of a criminal group of anthropomorphic animals who, upon being caught, pretend to attempt to reform themselves as model citizens, only for their leader to find himself genuinely drawn to changing his ways for good as a new villain has his own plans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DreamWorks Animation Television</span> American television animation studio and production company

DreamWorks Animation Television is an American animation studio that serves as the television production arm of DreamWorks Animation, itself a subsidiary of Universal Pictures and a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. Founded in 1996, the entity was formerly named DreamWorks Television Animation. Its first programs from the 1990s and early 2000s used the live-action television logo, and were produced by DreamWorks Television, before DWATV and its parent company were spun off into an independent company in 2004 and later purchased by NBCUniversal in 2016. In total, the division has released 59 programs, with 7 in development.

<i>Trolls</i> (franchise) DreamWorks Animation media franchise

Trolls is an American animated media franchise created by DreamWorks Animation, inspired by the successful line of Troll doll toys created by Thomas Dam. It follows the adventures of a pair of trolls named Poppy and Branch as they live among their village of pop-singing trolls. The franchise consists of three feature films, Trolls, released in 2016, Trolls World Tour, released in 2020, and Trolls Band Together, released in 2023. The franchise has been supplemented by two holiday television specials titled Trolls Holiday and Trolls: Holiday in Harmony, and two animated series: Trolls: The Beat Goes On! on Netflix, and Trolls: TrollsTopia on Hulu and Peacock. The Trolls franchise made $5 billion in retail sales by 2005.

<i>The Boss Baby</i> (franchise) DreamWorks Animation media franchise

The Boss Baby is a media franchise made by DreamWorks Animation, loosely based on the 2010 picture book of the same name by Marla Frazee. The franchise began with the 2017 film The Boss Baby and has since grown to include a 2021 sequel, Family Business; two television series, Back in Business (2018–2020) and Back in the Crib (2022–2023); two short films; and a 2020 interactive special, with a third film in active development.

<i>The Bad Guys</i> (book series) Comic book series

The Bad Guys is an illustrated children's graphic novel series written by Australian author Aaron Blabey. It revolves around a gang of anthropomorphic animals known as the "Bad Guys", who attempt to perform good deeds to change society's perception of them as criminals.

<i>The Bad Guys 2</i> Upcoming DreamWorks Animation film

The Bad Guys 2 is an upcoming American animated heist action comedy film loosely based on the children's book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The sequel to The Bad Guys (2022) and the second film in the Bad Guys franchise, it is directed by Pierre Perifel and co-directed by JP Sans. The film stars the voices of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Zazie Beetz, Richard Ayoade, Lilly Singh, and Alex Borstein reprising their roles from the first film, with Danielle Brooks, Maria Bakalova, and Natasha Lyonne joining the cast.

References

  1. ↑ Baker, Jordan (July 22, 2017). "Aaron's amazing tale picked up by Hollywood". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. ↑ Kroll, Justin (March 9, 2018). "Etan Cohen and DreamWorks Animation Developing 'Bad Guys' Film Adaptation (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  3. ↑ White, James (March 11, 2018). "Writer Etan Cohen Bringing The Bad Guys To DreamWorks Animation". Empire . Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  4. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (March 9, 2018). "Etan Cohen Adapting 'The Bad Guys' Books for DreamWorks Animation". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 7, 2019). "DreamWorks Animation & Universal To Release 'Spirit Riding Free' & 'The Bad Guys' In 2021". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  6. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 8, 2020). "How Animated Pics Like 'Tom & Jerry', 'SpongeBob Movie', 'Sing 2', Skydance's 'Luck' & More Are Working Through The COVID-19 Crisis". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  7. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (July 28, 2021). "Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina and Anthony Ramos to Star in DreamWorks Animation's 'The Bad Guys' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  8. ↑ Welk, Brian (December 28, 2020). "'The Boss Baby' Sequel Bumped to September 2021, 'The Bad Guys' Moves to 2022". TheWrap . Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  9. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 17, 2021). "DreamWorks Animation's 'Puss In Boots' Sequel & 'The Bad Guys' Get Release Dates At Universal". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  10. ↑ Grobar, Matt (October 12, 2021). "Universal Pushes Dates For DreamWorks Toon 'The Bad Guys' & George Clooney-Julia Roberts Pic 'Ticket To Paradise'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  11. ↑ Hayes, Dade (December 9, 2021). "NBCUniversal's New Theatrical Window Scheme To Bring Films To Peacock After As Few As 45 Days Of Release". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  12. ↑ Anderton, Ethan (July 13, 2021). "Netflix Will Remain The Streaming Home For Universal And DreamWorks Animated Films (After They Hit Peacock)". Slash Film. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  13. ↑ Couch, Aaron (March 1, 2022). "Universal Pulls Russia Releases, Including Animated 'Bad Guys' and Michael Bay's 'Ambulance'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  14. ↑ Percival, Tom (March 31, 2022). "The Bad Guys director would love to do a sequel". The Digital Flix. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  15. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (26 March 2024). "DreamWorks Animation Sets 'The Bad Guys 2' For Late Summer 2025". Deadline. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  16. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (2024-11-21). "'The Bad Guys 2' Trailer: Natasha Lyonne Joins the Heist in DreamWorks Sequel". Variety. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  17. ↑ Mitovich, Matt (October 9, 2023). "The Bad Guys Prequel Movie Gets New Voice Cast, Netflix Release Date and First Photos". TVLine . Retrieved October 9, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.