The Bad Guys 2022

Movie · 100 min · English · March 16, 2022

Directed by Pierre PerifelWritten by Etan Cohen

Starring Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos

A 2022 American animated neo-noir crime comedy film, The Bad Guys was produced by DreamWorks Animation. Based on the children's book series by Aaron Blabey, it was directed by Pierre Perifel in his first feature film effort and written by Etan Cohen. The voices of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, and Lilly Singh are featured in the film. It follows a gang of anthropomorphic criminals who, after being captured, pretend to reform as law-abiding citizens. Their leader becomes genuinely committed to changing his life for good.

Development began in March 2018, with Cohen penning the screenplay. The creative team took influence from films like Pulp Fiction (1994), Ocean's trilogy, Lupin the Third, and Sherlock Hound, while the animation style was inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Production started at DreamWorks Animation's Glendale location, with some assets borrowed from Jellyfish Pictures. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, voice work was done remotely.

The Bad Guys premiered in the United States on April 22, 2022 through Universal Pictures. Critics responded positively and the film earned $251million. A sequel titled The Bad Guys 2 appeared in 2025. The project has also led to a broader media franchise, including Netflix-exclusive prequels released between the main movies.