MOVIE | The Bad Guys 2 Australian author Aaron Blabey to launch blockbuster sequel – Everyone’s favourite felons are back, and this time, they’ve got company.
Universal Pictures is delighted to announce that celebrated Australian author Aaron Blabey will help launch DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2 with special orange carpet appearances in Melbourne and Sydney this August. The events mark the official Australian debut of the highly anticipated sequel, based on Blabey’s best-selling book series.
When The Bad Guys debuted in 2022, it cleverly subverted the heist genre with its crew of animal criminals who, for all their wit and swagger, could not escape the pull of their own moral dilemmas.
With the perfect blend of sharp humour and heart, the film offered a new kind of animated adventure — one that was as thoughtful as it was entertaining.
Now, with The Bad Guys 2, the franchise takes on a thrilling new chapter, expanding its scope to deliver a more ambitious, globe-spanning second chapter that raises the stakes for both its story and its characters.
Drawing continued inspiration from Blabey’s New York Times bestselling book series – the sales of which have soared from 8 million to more than 32 million in the past three years – returning director Pierre Perifel has evolved the franchise’s signature blend of sophistication and absurdist humour.
In this new instalment, our crackerjack crew of animal outlaws—now-reformed and trying (very, very hard) to be good —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 Bad Guys 2 stars the stellar original cast, led by Academy Award® winner Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Seven Psychopaths) as Mr. Wolf, SAG award nominee Marc Maron (Maron, To Leslie) as safe-cracker Mr. Snake, SAG award nominee Craig Robinson (Hot Tub Time Machine, This Is the End) as master-of disguise Mr. Shark, Grammy winner Anthony Ramos (Twisters, In the Heights, Hamilton) as Mr. Piranha and Emmy winner Awkwafina (Ocean’s Eight, The Little Mermaid) 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 Drooks (A Minecraft Movie, The Color Purple) as Bad Girls leader Kitty Kat, a dangerously clever snow leopard; Oscar® nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Movie Film, The Apprentice) 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 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.
Promotional Tour Dates:
Melbourne
MIFF Family Gala, Sunday August 17
• Orange carpet arrivals at Hoyts Melbourne Central from 1:30pm
Sydney
Sydney Premiere, Sunday August 31
• Orange carpet arrivals at Hoyts EQ from 1:30pm
The Bad Guys 2 – in cinemas 18 September 2025
Media Release – Universal Pictures
Link to Universal Pictures HERE
TV Central Cinema Movie Previews HERE
MOVIE | The Bad Guys 2 Australian author Aaron Blabey to launch blockbuster sequel
