‘The Bad Guys 2’ – Here’s What You Need To Know About DreamWorks Bigger, Badder Sequel

DreamWorks Animation has been on an absolute hot streak lately, and they’re looking to continue that trend into 2025 with The Bad Guys 2! That’s right, our favorite gang of animal outlaws are ready to hit the streets once again for a new chaotic, high-stakes adventure that will put all of their skills to the test. If you missed the first Bad Guys movie, you might be wondering: who is this infamous team? Let’s rewind for just a moment.

The Bad Guys is an extremely popular series of graphic novels by Australian author Aaron Blabey, set in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals co-exist. In 2022, DreamWorks released the first film based on the series, which saw the titular animal gang of talented thieves finally being caught after countless heists across the city. Given an opportunity to reform their ways, they soon learn they enjoy being good and help save the city from a nefarious villain’s plans.

We last saw the Bad Guys being released from jail for good behavior and ready to start their new lives as full-time model citizens. So, what’s next for the gang? Keep reading below to discover all we know so far about this upcoming action-packed sequel!

6 Does ‘The Bad Guys 2’ Have a Release Date?

It certainly does! The Bad Guys 2 is currently scheduled to debut in theaters on August 1, 2025. The first film originally released in April 2022, making the gap between them a little over three years. Currently slated to open on the same day as The Bad Guys 2 are the Liam Neeson-led reboot of The Naked Gun, and the killer shark flick Beneath the Storm starring Phoebe Dynevor.

5 Will ‘The Bad Guys 2’ Be Available for Streaming?

As of now, it’s too early to tell when The Bad Guys 2 will be available for streaming. Given that the film is yet to debut, and won’t do so until August 2025, it’s very likely we won’t hear anything about its streaming future until the latter half of next year. However, despite not having a date, we can confirm where you’ll be able to watch The Bad Guys 2 once it’s available for streaming.

Since 2022, Universal Pictures (the film’s distributor) has been partnered with both Netflix and Peacock to manage the first 18 months of a film’s streaming release schedule. So, as per their deal (once the date is set), The Bad Guys 2 will first be available on Peacock for four months. It will then head over to Netflix for the next ten months, before returning to Peacock for another four.

Stay tuned for streaming updates on The Bad Guys 2 by revisiting this space.

4 Is There a Trailer for ‘The Bad Guys 2’?

The official trailer for The Bad Guys 2 was released by Universal Pictures, via their YouTube channel, on November 22, 2024.

In it, we first get a glimpse into the Bad Guys’ criminal glory days, stealing a fancy muscle car from inside a mansion, before being chased by police in a high-speed chase. It then hilariously cuts to five years later, where Mr. Wolf is driving a real dud and struggling to adjust to his new life as a good guy. It’s hard to believe he couldn’t land a job at a bank he robbed three times! Unfortunately, given their reputation, it sounds like the transition to being good guys hasn’t been easy for the gang.

Things only become more complicated when the Bad Guys are kidnapped by a new gang, The Bad Girls, who were inspired by their work. The Bad Girls then demand that their criminal heroes must come out of retirement to help them with “one last job”. The trailer doesn’t give away too many details about this new criminal venture, or how the Bad Guys are convinced to return to their old ways. However, it makes one thing very clear about the crazy adventure ahead: there’s a rocket involved!

Without a doubt, The Bad Guys 2 is shaping up to be an exciting sequel that will keep fans of both the first film and the source material on the edge of their seats.

3 What’s the Plot of ‘The Bad Guys 2’?

As per DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures, the official synopsis for The Bad Guys 2 reads as follows:

“Everyone’s favorite felons are back, and this time, they’ve got company. In the new action-packed chapter from DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed comedy smash about a crackerjack crew of animal outlaws, our now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.”

2 Who Stars in ‘The Bad Guys 2’?

The first film boasted an impressive ensemble cast, all of which are returning to voice their characters again in The Bad Guys 2. This includes Sam Rockwell (Mr. Wolf), Marc Maron (Mr. Snake), Craig Robinson (Mr. Shark), Anthony Ramos (Mr. Piranha), Awkwafina (Ms. Tarantula), Zazie Beetz (Governor Diane Foxington / The Crimson Paw), Richard Ayoade (Professor Marmalade), Alex Borstein (Police Commissioner Misty Luggins), and last but not least, Lilly Singh (Tiffany Fluffit).

There are also three newcomers joining this stellar voice cast to portray the Bad Girls gang members. Firstly, Academy Award nominee Danielle Brooks will play the gang’s leader Kitty Kat, who is described as a “dangerously clever snow leopard.” She is perhaps best known for her roles as Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson in Orange Is the New Black and Leota Waller Adebayo in Peacemaker. Brooks also gave a Grammy-winning performance in the Broadway musical The Color Purple, a role which she reprised in the 2023 film adaptation.

Next is Academy Award nominee Maria Bakalova as Pigtail, “a brilliant Bulgarian wild boar engineer”. She had her breakout role in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, portraying Borat’s daughter, Tutar Sagdiyev. She has since appeared in films such as Bodies Bodies Bodies and The Apprentice, as well as lent her voice to Cosmo the Spacedog in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Finally, we have Natasha Lyonne as Doom, “a wry raven with a knack for deception.” Lyonne has quite an extensive filmography, but, as of late, has been focused largely on television. Some of her recent roles include Nicky Nichols in Orange Is the New Black, Nadia Vulvokov in Russian Doll, and Charlie Cale in Poker Face.

1 Who’s Making ‘The Bad Guys 2’?

The Bad Guys 2 is being directed by Pierre Perifel, who also helmed the previous film in his directorial debut. However, it has not been confirmed yet if Etan Cohen, the previous film’s writer, has also returned for the sequel. At this stage, no writers have been publicly announced.

In terms of animation, 2025 will mark a significant shift for DreamWorks as their films moving forward will no longer be solely produced in-house. Instead, they will be sharing the workload with partner animation studios. In this case, DreamWorks will be collaborating with Sony Pictures Imageworks to complete animation work on The Bad Guys 2. Their previous credits include animated films such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the Hotel Transylvania series, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.