A sequel to ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ is in the works.
Guillermo Martinez and JP Sans are directing.
Netflix will release the movie under a deal with Sony.
Back in 2021, robo-uprising movie ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ burst on to screens via Sony and Netflix, bringing a much-needed offering of joy to a dark time for the world as the COVID pandemic continued to effect it.
Given the success of the original (it won eight Annie Awards, including for animated feature, and was nominated for best animated feature at the Oscars), and spurred by the reaction to ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ (which has been a sensation for the companies), a sequel is in development, as reported by Variety.
The first film was initially set to be released by Sony Pictures in 2020 after the title was changed to ‘Connected,’ but following delays due to the COVID pandemic, Netflix picked up the film (under its original title) for reportedly more than $100 million.
The movie follows the titular family as they drive their eldest daughter, Katie (Abbi Jacobson), across the country to film school in California.
While en route, a rogue AI called PAL (Olivia Colman) commanders an army of robots to launch a worldwide rebellion against humanity. It’s up to the Mitchells — including Katie’s technophobic father, Rick (Danny McBride), overly sweet mother, Linda (Maya Rudolph) and hyperactive younger brother, Aaron (Mike Rianda) — to save the day.
Opening in theaters on August 1st is ‘The Bad Guys 2’, DreamWorks Animation’s sequel to the 2022 original, with Pierre Perifel back directing and JP Sans as co-director for this one.
DreamWorks Animation is not a company to let a successful first movie get away without spawning a franchise. We’ve had swathes of ‘Kung Fu Panda’ outings, various ‘Madagascar’ entries (plus spin-offs) and numerous ‘Shrek’ films –– another is on the way next year.
Of course, then, ‘The Bad Guys’, which managed to delight family audiences in 2022 when the box office was still feeling the lingering ill effects of the pandemic, is back for another go-around.
And fortunately, this one is a largely positive catch-up with some very entertaining characters that has a few flaws here and there, but overall works.
The screenplay for animated movies is always a moveable feast, with ideas dropped in or ripped out at the storyboard and even animatic stage. This movie’s script comes courtesy of Yoni Brenner (a veteran of the ‘Rio’ and ‘Ice Age’ franchises), Etan Cohen (‘Holmes & Watson’), both taking loose inspiration from the ‘Bad Guys’ kids’ books by Aaron Blabey.
We’re re-introduced to our animal crooks with a prologue set during the height of their heisting days for a fun sequence that mashes up the likes of the ‘Fast & the Furious’ films with ‘Mission: Impossible’ as the team steals a priceless car from a billionaire (Omid Djalili).
From there, we head to the present day, where the lifestyle of Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell) and the rest is far from glamorous –– they’re struggled to make ends meet as they continue their quest to live a legal life. A chance to help track down a new criminal threat is curtailed when they’re blackmailed by a team of even sneakier crooks into pulling off (you guessed it!) one last job.
‘The Bad Guys 2’s story moves along at a decent enough clip, though it does suffer from pacing issues, going from frenetic action moments to long-winded bouts of exposition that are largely carried by the vocal work.
Still, once the true mission of the “Bad Girls” is revealed, things certainly take off.
Directorially, Pierre Perifel and his artists largely keep what worked about the original, with a winning blend of animation styles that calls to mind the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies without directly aping it. When you consider that the first ‘Bad Guys’ shifted how DreamWorks handles the look of (some of) its output, it’s easy to see why they chose to stay in that lane.
The vocal work on the movie is once again solid, with Rockwell in particular delivering his trademark charm as Mr. Wolf. He pairs well with a returning Zazie Beetz, who is his equal as Diane Foxington, the reformed criminal-turned-governor. The pair shares the most flirtatious animated dynamic since Disney’s ‘Robin Hood’.
Elsewhere, the other “Bad Guys” get a decent amount to do, with Marc Maron’s Mr. Snake handed the best storyline –– his romance that turns out to have a connection to the Bad Girls is always entertaining, and his work opposite Natasha Lyonne as his paramour is great.
Other new arrivals fare perhaps less well; Danielle Brooks is fine as Kitty Kat, the mastermind behind the other criminal crew, while Maria Bakalova is largely left to be support as hench-pig Pigtail (though she’s still good value).
It might not hit the heights of the first movie, but ‘The Bad Guys 2’ is a decent follow-up to that movie, with a fresh new dynamic that largely sidesteps the repetitive pitfalls of sequels.
And while there is comedy competition at the box office, its family target should equal a solid launch.
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What’s the story of ‘The Bad Guys 2’?
Featuring the return of the crackerjack crew of animal outlaws, the now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good.
Yet they 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.
With the original ‘The Bad Guys’ movie proving to be a success for DreamWorks Animation –– and especially since it had to contend with post-pandemic worries about moviegoing –– a sequel was naturally commissioned.
The 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 likes of returning voice cast Sam Rockwell (Mr. Wolf), Craig Robinson (Mr. Shark), Awkwafina (Ms. Tarantula), Anthony Ramos (Mr. Piranha) and Marc Maron (Mr. Snake) were joined by new recruits Danielle Brooks (Kitty Kat), Natasha Lyonne (Doom) and Maria Bakalova (Pigtail).
Rockwell and co. were on hand to talk up the movie and introduced clips from the sequel, including one where the characters go to space.
Acting in an animated movie is no easy task, since the cast rarely spend time together in the voice booth, working off voice cues from the director and other crew.
And they talked up their wildest efforts in method acting and throwing themselves around for physical scenes. Danielle Brooks, who plays Kitty Kat, used a lollipop to help her specific line deliveries.
For much of the cast, this was their first trip to Hall H at Comic-Con and they discussed how it feels to be up on stage experience clips of the movie with a big audience.
When will ‘The Bad Guys 2’ be in theaters?
The new DreamWorks Animation outing will crack its way into theaters on August 1st.
