The Bad Guys 2 filmmakers break down the first trailer introducing a new all-female gang: "We wanted to play with something else than the typical James Bond male villain"
Exclusive: The Bad Guys 2 director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross discuss the sequel's all-action trailer featuring The Bad Girls
The first trailer for the animated crime comedy sequel The Bad Guys 2 is here, and it looks like this time our favorite band of bad guy animals have an even bigger problem on their hands, The Bad Girls.
Director Pierre Perifel and producer Damon Ross break down the trailer and tell us all about the upcoming Mission: Impossible-inspired movie with a new all-female group.
The clip, which you can check out below, opens with The Bad Guys robbing a bank in an international setting, with Mr. Wolf caught in a high-speed police chase in a black Mustang, very reminiscent of the Nicolas Cage movie Gone in 60 Seconds. But then, five years later after serving a prison sentence, Wolf and his team have 'gone good' but are not enjoying life on the right side as they struggle to get jobs or make any money at all. That's when they meet The Bad Girls who convince them, or rather force them, to take on one more job.
When asked why they chose to include an all-female group this time, Perifel says they "wanted to play with something else than the typical James Bond male villain". Ross points out that the group name 'The Bad Girls' then came naturally.
So, who voices The Bad Girls? The filmmakers confirm that our ears are not deceiving us, and those voices do in fact belong to Orange Is the New Black stars Danielle Brooks and Natasha Lyonne, as well as The Apprentice star Maria Bakalova. "Those ladies are extraordinary, so fun to work with," adds the director.
Elsewhere in the trailer, we see Mr. Shark getting into even more hilarious disguises, Mr. Piranha being called a "mango with teeth," and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of Diane Foxington. The filmmakers confirm that Diane will return adding, "She's back, and she's even cooler and better than before. I can't reveal much but she's got her own storyline in this movie." Does that mean we will see more of the Crimson Paw? We hope so! The filmmakers also reveal that Wolf and Diane’s romantic relationship will blossom, "the chemistry between the two is incredible," says Ross.
Just like the first movie took inspiration from heist flicks such as The Italian Job, Ocean’s Eleven, and Snatch, the filmmakers say that the sequel is modeled on classic action movies. "This one is more like Mission: Impossible and James Bond. It's more like big action, but always peppered in with that, you know, comedy layer," says Perifel. "We have like a creative mantra, which is sophisticated silly," adds Ross. "So we try, we try to really accomplish both in almost every scene." But the globetrotting and big elaborate set pieces are largely inspired by the Tom Cruise franchise, "Nobody does set pieces better than Mission: Impossible," claims the producer.
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Based on the New York Times best-selling book series by Aaron Blabey, The Bad Guys 2 reunites us with our favorite band of misfit animals and the stars who voice them, the dashing pickpocket Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), his best friend and partner in crime Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), the hilarious master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), the small but mighty Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and computer wizz Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina).
So will there be a Bad Guys 3? "There's lots of books," teases Ross, "So there's lots of elements and ingredients to pull from."
The Bad Guys 2 hit theatres in summer 2025. For more, check out our list of the best animated movies, or keep up with upcoming movies heading your way.
I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.