| The Bad Guys | |
|---|---|
 US theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Pierre Perifel |
| Screenplay by | Etan Cohen |
| Based on | The Bad Guys byAaron Blabey |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Edited by | John Venzon |
| Music by | Daniel Pemberton |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 100 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $69–80 million[3][4] |
| Box office | $250.8 million[5][6] |
The Bad Guys is a 2022 American animatedheistcomedy film loosely based onThe Bad Guys children's book series byAaron Blabey, and produced byDreamWorks Animation.[a] The film was directed byPierre Perifel, written byEtan Cohen, and stars the voices ofSam Rockwell,Marc Maron,Awkwafina,Craig Robinson,Anthony Ramos,Richard Ayoade,Zazie Beetz,Alex Borstein, andLilly Singh. It tells the story of a criminal group ofanthropomorphic animals who, upon being caught, pretend to attempt to reform themselves as model citizens, only for their leader to find himself genuinely drawn to changing his ways for good.
Work on the film started in March 2018, with Cohen writing the screenplay. The characters and themes drew inspiration from various crime films and anime series such asPulp Fiction (1994), theOcean's film trilogy,Lupin III, andSherlock Hound, while the inspiration for the film's animation style came fromSony Pictures Animation'sSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Production began at DreamWorks Animation's Glendale campus, and some additional production assets were borrowed fromJellyfish Pictures, with voice acting being done remotely due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
The Bad Guys was released theatrically byUniversal Pictures in several countries on March 16, 2022, and in the United States on April 22. It received positive reviews from critics and grossed $250.8 million. A sequel,The Bad Guys 2, was released in 2025.
In a world where humans andanthropomorphic animals co-exist, masterpickpocket Mr. Wolf leads the Bad Guys, an infamous gang of criminals consisting of his best friend andsafecracker Mr. Snake, experthacker Ms. Tarantula, master ofdisguise Mr. Shark, and loose cannon Mr. Piranha.
After yet another brazen robbery and police chase, Governor Diane Foxington insults the gang's predictability. Wolf convinces them to steal the Golden Dolphin award, which will be presented to guinea pig philanthropist Professor Rupert Marmalade IV, who has helped rebuild the city from damage by ameteorite. Infiltrating the awards ceremony, Wolf feels a sense of accomplishment after inadvertently assisting an elderly woman, but his conflicted feelings delay the gang's escape, ultimately leading to their arrest. To avoid prison and reclaim the award, Wolf persuades Diane to let Marmalade reform the Bad Guys' criminal ways.
Marmalade's efforts to reform the gang are unsuccessful, culminating in a disastrous attempt to rescue guinea pigs from a research lab. Diane angrily scolds them for their "behaviour" and nearly calls off the experiment, but sympathizes with Wolf for acting like the "big bad villain" society expects of him. Wolf finds himself rescuing a cat from a tree, captured by Marmalade in a video that turns the gang's public image around, but Snake fears that Wolf is losing sight of their plan.
At Marmalade's charity gala, the gang executes another heist to steal the award. Wolf, having fallen in love with Diane, is unable to do it and decides to redeem himself. However, the meteorite is stolen instead, and the gang is blamed and arrested, while a remorseful Wolf gives Diane the location of the gang's hideout full of stolen loot. Marmalade reveals to the gang that he stole the meteorite and arranged everything to frame them, including posing as the old woman at the awards ceremony. Wolf lashes out angrily at Marmalade, out loud in front of the audience, including Diane.
In prison, Wolf explains that he believes a better life is possible, leading to a fight with Snake, who is convinced that society will never accept them. The gang is rescued by Diane, whom Wolf realizes is the Crimson Paw, a former criminal mastermind and now convinced that Wolf is truly redeemed. Wolf agrees to help Diane stop Marmalade from using the meteorite as a hypnotic power source, but the others return to their hideout only to discover their loot is gone. Snake comforts Shark by giving him the lastPush Pop, leading them all to realize that Wolf was right about a better life, but an angry Snake storms off in denial to ally with Marmalade.
Diane and Wolf realize Marmalade is using the meteorite to control an army of guinea pigs, which he sends to rob his charity funds throughout the city. Diane reveals that when she tried to steal the Golden Dolphin, she realized she was the type of person that society perceived her to be, and left her criminal ways behind. Attempting to steal back the meteorite, Marmalade and Snake capture them. Webs, Shark, and Piranha arrive to rescue them, and together, they race to deliver the meteorite to the police but decide to bring Snake back first. Chased by the guinea pig swarm, Wolf is forced to surrender the meteorite when Marmalade kicks Snake out of his helicopter.
Reconciling with Snake, the police confront the gang, while Marmalade's mind control device is destroyed. Before Diane can defend the gang by revealing her criminal past, Wolf and the others willingly turn themselves in. Marmalade tries to claim credit for recovering the meteorite, but Snake reveals that he faked his defection and had the meteorite swapped with Marmalade's replica lamp when he had the mind control device. The machine destroys the meteorite, exposing Marmalade as the real thief, while he inadvertently frames himself as the Crimson Paw after a diamond he took from Diane falls out of his pocket, leading to his arrest. As the police take the Bad Guys to jail, Wolf reveals that he left the Push Pop to prove there was good in Snake, and the gang happily accepts that they are no longer bad guys.
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On July 22, 2017, Australia'sThe Daily Telegraph reported that several studios had expressed interest in adaptingAaron Blabey's book seriesThe Bad Guys into a feature film.[9] In March 2018,DreamWorks Animation announced the development of a film based on the book series, withEtan Cohen writing the screenplay.[10][11][12] The following year, in October, it was reported that the film would be directed byPierre Perifel in hisfeature directorial debut, with Cohen and Hilary Winston set to co-write the film's script.[13] Throughout the development of the film, the crew worked remotely during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[14] The film was described as having "a similar twist on theheist genre thatShrek did onfairy tales, and whatKung Fu Panda did for thekung fu genre".[13] Winston was only credited for additional screenplay material withIce Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs writer Yoni Brenner while the film was executive produced by Cohen, Blabey, and Foundation Media's Patrick Hughes.[15] The cast was announced on July 28, 2021.[15] It also marked the first DreamWorks Animation film to haveLenovo as their preferred workstation partner, following the end of their association withHP.[16]
The film's design was inspired bySony Pictures Animation'sSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with DreamWorks adopting a more illustrative and stylized aesthetic than their previous films. Character designs took inspiration from a mix of styles from directors such asLuc Besson'sThe Fifth Element,Michael Mann'sHeat,Steven Soderbergh'sOcean's Eleven, andQuentin Tarantino'sReservoir Dogs, andPulp Fiction. The film was also inspired by anime and manga series such asSherlock Hound andLupin III as well as the French-Belgian animated filmErnest & Celestine, due to how it influenced the approach to the characters.[17]
While most of the animation for the film was provided by DWA Glendale,Jellyfish Pictures, who previously worked with DreamWorks onHow to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming,Spirit Untamed andThe Boss Baby: Family Business, handled the additional asset production services using proprietary software like Premo and Moonray, along with a new tool called Doodle – created for the 2D effects and for allowing the animators to move the lines around the character rigs. The film's opening diner scene, inspired by the similar opening scene from Tarantino'sPulp Fiction, is the longest one-shot in DreamWorks Animation history, lasting two minutes, 25 seconds, and seven frames.[18][19]
| DP presents: The Bad Guys/TBG Life[20] | ||||
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| Film score by Daniel Pemberton | ||||
| Released | March 31, 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2021–2022 | |||
| Venue | Madison Ave | |||
| Studio | DreamWorks Animation | |||
| Genre | Score | |||
| Length | 67:32 | |||
| Label | Back Lot Music | |||
| Producer | Benny Blanco | |||
| DreamWorks Animation soundtrack chronology | ||||
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| Daniel Pemberton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Bad Guys (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
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On June 22, 2021,Daniel Pemberton was signed to compose the score for the film, having previously composed the soundtrack forSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.[21] A song "Good Tonight" written by Pemberton andGary Go was made and released on March 18 byBack Lot Music, performed by Anthony Ramos, who does the additional lyrics with Will Wells. The album was released on March 31 with two other new songs included with "Good Tonight", includes a cover of "Feelin' Alright" byElle King (released on March 25) and "Brand New Day" byThe Heavy.[20] Director Pierre Perifel, producer Damon Ross and composer Daniel Pemberton recorded backup vocals on Brand New Day. Following the release of the film on April 22, a new remix of "Good Tonight" was released byParty Pupils.
Additionally, "Stop Drop Roll" by Can't Stop Won't Stop, "Howlin' for You" byThe Black Keys, "Fly Me to the Moon" byJulie London and "Go" byThe Chemical Brothers are heard in the film but not included in the soundtrack album. Furthermore, "Bad Guy" byBillie Eilish was only featured in the trailers.
All music is composed by Daniel Pemberton, except as noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Big Bad Wolf" | 1:05 | ||
| 2. | "Meet The Bad Guys" | 3:39 | ||
| 3. | "Let's Bounce" | 3:08 | ||
| 4. | "Push Pop" | 3:28 | ||
| 5. | "Step 3" | 3:17 | ||
| 6. | "Security Surprise" | 1:36 | ||
| 7. | "The Dolphin Heist" | 4:38 | ||
| 8. | "Going to Go Good" | 4:07 | ||
| 9. | "Turn on the Charm" | 1:23 | ||
| 10. | "Marmalade Prelude" | 1:32 | ||
| 11. | "A Heist for Good" | 2:28 | ||
| 12. | "The Sharing Laboratory" | 1:51 | ||
| 13. | "Save the Cat" | 1:43 | ||
| 14. | "Good Tonight" | Pemberton,Gary Go,Anthony Ramos and Will Wells | 3:41 | |
| 15. | "So Long Suckers" | 1:56 | ||
| 16. | "The Lair of Loot" | 2:29 | ||
| 17. | "Loot Loops" | 1:08 | ||
| 18. | "Bedtime Story" | 2:06 | ||
| 19. | "Double Crossed" | 4:09 | ||
| 20. | "Tricky Fox" | 1:08 | ||
| 21. | "The Crimson Paw" | 1:51 | ||
| 22. | "Secret Hideout" | 2:19 | ||
| 23. | "Evil Masterplan" | 1:13 | ||
| 24. | "The Sad Guys" | 1:35 | ||
| 25. | "One Last Push Pop" | 1:40 | ||
| 26. | "Finish Them" | 1:45 | ||
| 27. | "Huff + Puff" | 2:07 | ||
| 28. | "Just Robbing This Place" | 1:55 | ||
| 29. | "Freeway Escape" | 2:27 | ||
| 30. | "Who Said It Was the End?" | 2:03 | ||
| 31. | "Redemption" | 2:01 | ||
| 32. | "The Old Switcheroo" | 1:45 | ||
| 33. | "Feelin' Alright" | Dave Mason | Elle King | 4:04 |
| 34. | "Brand New Day" | Pemberton, Daniel Taylor and Kelvin Swaby | The Heavy | 3:45 |
The film's marketing campaign began on December 14, 2021, with the release of the first trailer, a first-look photo, and a cast table read. The first trailer was also shown during theater screenings ofSing 2. A second trailer, released on February 23, 2022. Atelevision spot aired during theSuper Bowl pre-game garnered 8.5 million views when it was released on YouTube. Overall, fourteen promotional YouTube videos attracted 110.1 million views.The Bad Guys also had a tie-in with the 2022March Madness tournament, featuring a virtual bracket for the film's characters and commercials during pre- and post-game coverage onTNT andTBS. A Snapchat AR lens of Mr. Wolf and a TikTok trend set toBillie Eilish's "Bad Guy" were used to promote the film.Deadline Hollywood said Universal took advantage of April Fool's Day (April 1), the day tickets went on sale, with the release of another Snapchat AR lens that went viral after it was used by popular influencers such asMrBeast and Michael Le, gaining 21.5 million views and over 1.8 million likes on TikTok.[3]
On October 7, 2019, it was reported that the film would be theatrically released on September 17, 2021, taking over the release date ofSpooky Jack.[13] In December 2020, the film was delayed withThe Boss Baby: Family Business taking its original slot, though it was confirmed that it would get a new date "within the coming weeks" due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[22] In March 2021, the release date was rescheduled to April 15, 2022.[23] In October 2021, it was pushed back again by one week to April 22.[24]The Bad Guys had a red carpet screening at theAce Hotel Los Angeles on April 12, 2022, with Beetz in attendance.[25] On March 1, 2022, Universal pulled the release in Russia in response to theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[26]
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment releasedThe Bad Guys onDVD,Blu-ray andUltra HD Blu-ray and fordigital download in the United States on June 21, 2022.[27] The film was released onNBCUniversal'sPeacock streaming service on July 1, 2022.[28][29] As part of an 18-month deal withNetflix for Universal's animated films, the film streamed on Peacock for the first four months of the pay-TV window, before moving to Netflix on November 1, 2022, for the next ten, returning to Peacock on September 1, 2023, for the next four, and finally moving toAmazon Prime Video on January 1, 2024.[30][31]
A 3D Blu-ray release of the film was released in Australia on May 10, 2023.[32] A European 3D Blu-ray version was released on May 23, 2024.[33]
The Bad Guys grossed $97.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $153.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $250.8 million.[5][6]
In the United States and Canada,The Bad Guys was released alongsideThe Northman andThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and was projected to gross $13–20 million from 4,008 theaters in its opening weekend.[34][35][36] The film made $8 million on its first day, including $1.15 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut with $24 million, topping the box office.[37]Deadline Hollywood noted that the over-performance was thanks to a diverse turnout, big marketing push, and recent success of family films. Women made up 56% of the audience during its opening. The ethnic breakdown of the audience showed that 40% Caucasian, 25% Latino and Hispanic, 20% African American, and 9% Asian or other.[3] The film grossed $16.2 million in its second weekend, finishing first again.[38] It made $9.6 million in its third weekend and $7 million in its fourth, both times finishing second behind newcomerDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.[39][40] It stayed in the box office top ten until its eleventh weekend.[41]
Outside the U.S. and Canada, the film earned $8.5 million from 25 international markets in its opening weekend.[42] This included a strong $1.7 million opening in Spain, where it finished ahead ofThe Batman and tied withEncanto as the best debut in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.[43] In its second weekend, it made $6.5 million from 37 markets.[44] Its third weekend added $10.5 million, which included a $3.1 million debut in the UK and $1.7 million from Australia, where the film had the best opening for an animated film since the start of the pandemic.[45] It made $7.5 million in its fourth weekend, which included a debut in France of $1.5 million.[46] The film crossed the $50 million mark outside the U.S. and Canada in its fifth weekend, ahead of its North American release, after adding $6.5 million.[47] In its sixth weekend, the film made $5.9 million, whichDeadline Hollywood noted as a "terrific 9% drop" before its release in China on April 29.[48] The film added $9 million in its seventh weekend. This included an opening of $4.53 million in China, where it received a "strong" 9.1/10 rating from audiences on the Maoyan website.[49] The film earned $7.2 million the following weekend, which included a debut of $1.93 million in Korea.The Bad Guys also surpassed the gross ofEncanto in China.[50] It made $6.7 million in its ninth weekend,[51] crossed the $100 million overseas mark in its tenth weekend,[52] and added another $5.8 million in its eleventh weekend.[53] It made $8.9 million the following weekend, surpassing the earnings ofMoana andToy Story 4 in China.[54] In its thirteenth weekend, it made $3.5 million.[55]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 88% of 172 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Fast-paced, funny, and full of colorful visual appeal,The Bad Guys is good news for audiences seeking options the whole family can enjoy."[56]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[57] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those atPostTrak gave it an average score of 4 out of 5 stars.[3]
The Washington Post's Kristen Page-Kirby gave 3 stars out of 4, and concluded: "The moral of the story doesn't pack a huge wallop. Not that it needs to. (We can't all beEncanto.) Still, it's clever, visually interesting, and very, very funny. Even when the humor goes lowbrow, it makes narrative sense. A joke about flatulence is a lot funnier when it's essential to the plot.The Bad Guys gets that. In fact,The Bad Guys gets a lot of things. It knows precisely what it is — and what it sets out to do, it does well. It's a heist film with heart and humor, and where's the crime in that?"[58]IGN's Ryan Leston gave a rating of 8 out of 10 and wrote:The Bad Guys is a slick, hilarious heist movie with buckets of laughs and a lot of heart. It'sOcean's Eleven meets Little Red Riding Hood with Sam Rockwell's Wolf going on a charm offensive to stay out of jail... and he might just win you over in the process. Richard Ayoade has a blast as the sanctimonious Professor Marmalade, and the entire voice cast brings their A-game with some stellar gags that will get you roaring with laughter.The Bad Guys is a fun, family-friendly caper that's bursting with action and brimming with laughs."[59]Chicago Sun-Times'sRichard Roeper gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4, and commented that "The animation combines computer-generated 2D and 3D with a look that will remind you of a Saturday-morning cartoon—only much crisper and more dazzling. There's nothing photorealistic about the animation; it's stylized and has very specific definition of Heist Movie Los Angeles, with the sky so bright it's almost overexposed, and yet somehow creating a bit of a noir vibe. This is a great-looking film with terrific performances, some lovely messaging, and a steady parade of solid laughs—some the kids will enjoy and just as many targeted squarely at the grown-up kids in the audience."[60]
The Guardian's Wendy Ide gave 3 stars out of 5 and said: "LikeRoger Rabbit, the pacing owes a debt to the demented frenzy of classic Looney Tunes animations, but the film also nods to heist movies, notably theOceans series. It's deliberately preposterous – the disguises are rarely more convincing than the kind of false nose and moustache combo you might find in a cracker. But there's a kernel of believability where it matters: in the easy repartee and fully fleshed friendships. It's sharp, silly, and frequently very funny."[61]
The film was awarded the title ofTruly Moving Picture Award at the 2022Heartland Film Festival and was nominated for Best Animated Film at theHollywood Critics Association andSatellite Awards.[63][64][65] Beetz received a nomination forOutstanding Voice Performance at the2023 Black Reel Awards.[66] The film also was nominated forOutstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature at the21st Visual Effects Society Awards, aKids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie as well as Awkwafina receiving a nomination for Favorite Female Voice From an Animated Movie at the2023 Kids' Choice Awards, and for fiveAnnie Awards (winning one).[67][68][69]
The film was nominated forBest Edited Animated Feature Film[70] and for Outstanding Achievement in Casting at the38th Artios Awards.[71]
In March 2022, a month before the film was released, Perifel said that he would love to do a sequel.[72] Two years later, DreamWorks Animation officially confirmed a sequel and was released in the US on August 1, 2025. Perifel returned to direct, and JP Sans, who served as head of character animation on the previous film, co-directed, with the cast reprising their roles.[73] On July 13, 2024, it was announced thatNatasha Lyonne was cast in the sequel. A trailer was released on November 21, 2024, with the cast returning, along with new voice actors.
A holiday special inspired by the characters from the film was produced byDreamWorks Animation Television.[74] It was directed by Bret Haaland fromFast & Furious Spy Racers, and executive produced by Haaland and Katherine Nolfi fromAbominable and the Invisible City andSpirit Riding Free.[74] The holiday special, titledThe Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday, debuted on November 30, 2023, onNetflix.[75] None of the film cast reprised their roles.[75] The special takes place before the events of the film and features the titular Bad Guys reluctantly restoring holiday cheer to Los Angeles after Christmas was unexpectedly canceled.[74] A Halloween specialThe Bad Guys: Haunted Heist was released on October 3, 2024, with the main cast fromA Very Bad Holiday reprising their roles.[76]
On October 8, 2025, it was announced that a prequel series, titledThe Bad Guys: Breaking In, is set to premiere on Netflix on November 6. Inspired by the characters from the film, the series is being produced byDreamWorks Animation Television.[77]
