Universal Pictures has released the official trailer and poster for The Bad Guys 2, which will open in theaters on August 1, 2025. Everyone’s favorite felons are back in the sequel, 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.
The franchise is based on the New York Times best-selling book series by Aaron Blabey, which has soared from 8 million to over 30 million copies sold since the first film’s release in 2022.
The Bad Guys 2 stars Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell as Mr. Wolf, SAG award nominee Marc Maron as safe-cracker Mr. Snake, SAG award nominee Craig Robinson as master-of-disguise Mr. Shark, Grammy winner Anthony Ramos as Mr. Piranha, and Emmy winner Awkwafina as hacker Ms. Tarantula, aka “Webs.”
The returning voice cast is joined by a new trio of comedic powerhouses as The Bad Girls: Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) as Bad Girls leader Kitty Kat, a dangerously clever snow leopard; Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Movie Film) as Pigtail, a brilliant Bulgarian wild boar engineer; and Emmy nominee and comedy icon Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, Poker Face) as Doom, a wry raven with a knack for deception.
From celebrated returning director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross, The Bad Guys 2 also features the alumni voice talents of Emmy nominee Zazie Beetz as Governor Diane Foxington, BAFTA winner Richard Ayoade as Professor Marmalade, Emmy winner Alex Borstein as Police Chief (now Commissioner) Misty Luggins, and Lilly Singh as sensationalist reporter Tiffany Fluffit.
The Bad Guys 2 is co-directed by JP Sans, who served as head of character animation on the first film. The music is by Oscar-nominated returning composer Daniel Pemberton.
The first film hit theaters in April 2022 and grossed $250.4 million worldwide, with $97.5 million coming from North American theaters and $152.9 million from international markets. The movie has also had a successful run on streaming on services like Netflix, Peacock, and Prime Video.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to provide the latest news on streaming, movies, and TV shows. He previously created the websites ComingSoon, SuperHeroHype, and ShockTillYouDrop.