The Bad Guys (film)
Updated: 12/11/2025, 1:06:37 PM Wikipedia source
The Bad Guys is a 2022 American animated heist comedy film loosely based on The Bad Guys children's book series by Aaron Blabey, and produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was directed by Pierre Perifel, written by Etan Cohen, and stars the voices of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, and Lilly Singh. It tells the story of a criminal group of anthropomorphic 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 as Pulp Fiction (1994), the Ocean's film trilogy, Lupin III, and Sherlock Hound, while the inspiration for the film's animation style came from Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Production began at DreamWorks Animation's Glendale campus, and some additional production assets were borrowed from Jellyfish Pictures, with voice acting being done remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bad Guys was released theatrically by Universal 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.
Infobox
Directed by
Pierre Perifel
Screenplay by
Etan Cohen
Based on
The Bad Guysby Aaron Blabey
Produced by
mw- Damon Ross Rebecca Huntley
Starring
Sam Rockwell Marc Maron Awkwafina Craig Robinson Anthony Ramos Richard Ayoade Zazie Beetz Alex Borstein Lilly Singh
Edited by
John Venzon
Music by
Daniel Pemberton
Productioncompanies
DreamWorks Animation[a]Scholastic Entertainment
Distributed by
Universal Pictures
Release dates
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12) (Los Angeles) April 22, 2022 (2022-04-22) (United States)
Running time
100 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$69–80 million
Box office
$250.8 million
Productioncompany
DreamWorks Animation
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
Heartland Film Festival
Heartland Film Festival
Award
Heartland Film Festival
Date of Ceremony
March 18, 2022
Category
Truly Moving Picture Award
Recipient(s)
The Bad Guys
Result
Won
Hollywood Critics Association
Hollywood Critics Association
Award
Hollywood Critics Association
Date of Ceremony
February 24, 2023
Category
Best Animated Film
Recipient(s)
The Bad Guys
Result
Nominated
Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
Award
Satellite Awards
Date of Ceremony
March 3, 2023
Category
Best Motion Picture - Animated or Mixed Media
Recipient(s)
The Bad Guys
Result
Nominated
Black Reel Awards
Black Reel Awards
Award
Black Reel Awards
Date of Ceremony
February 6, 2023
Category
Outstanding Voice Performance
Recipient(s)
Zazie Beetz
Result
Nominated
Visual Effects Society Awards
Visual Effects Society Awards
Award
Visual Effects Society Awards
Date of Ceremony
February 15, 2023
Category
Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature
Recipient(s)
The Bad Guys
Result
Nominated
Kids' Choice Awards
Kids' Choice Awards
Award
Kids' Choice Awards
Date of Ceremony
March 4, 2023
Category
Favorite Animated Movie
Recipient(s)
The Bad Guys
Result
Nominated
Favorite Female Voice From an Animated Movie
Favorite Female Voice From an Animated Movie
Award
Favorite Female Voice From an Animated Movie
Date of Ceremony
Awkwafina as Tarantula
Category
Nominated
Annie Awards
Annie Awards
Award
Annie Awards
Date of Ceremony
February 25, 2023
Category
Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production
Recipient(s)
Jorge Capote
Result
Nominated
Min Hong
Min Hong
Award
Min Hong
Date of Ceremony
Nominated
Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Award
Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Date of Ceremony
Taylor Krahenbuhl
Category
Won
Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production
Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production
Award
Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production
Date of Ceremony
Daniel Pemberton
Category
Nominated
Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Award
Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Date of Ceremony
Luc Desmarchelier, Floriane Marchix
Category
Nominated
Artios Awards
Artios Awards
Award
Artios Awards
Date of Ceremony
March 9, 2023
Category
Animation
Recipient(s)
Christi Soper Hilt
Result
Nominated
| Award | Date of Ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Heartland Film Festival | March 18, 2022 | Truly Moving Picture Award | The Bad Guys | Won | |
| Hollywood Critics Association | February 24, 2023 | Best Animated Film | The Bad Guys | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Motion Picture - Animated or Mixed Media | The Bad Guys | Nominated | |
| Black Reel Awards | February 6, 2023 | Outstanding Voice Performance | Zazie Beetz | Nominated | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature | The Bad Guys | Nominated | |
| Kids' Choice Awards | March 4, 2023 | Favorite Animated Movie | The Bad Guys | Nominated | |
| Favorite Female Voice From an Animated Movie | Awkwafina as Tarantula | Nominated | |||
| Annie Awards | February 25, 2023 | Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production | Jorge Capote | Nominated | |
| Min Hong | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production | Taylor Krahenbuhl | Won | |||
| Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production | Daniel Pemberton | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production | Luc Desmarchelier, Floriane Marchix | Nominated | |||
| Artios Awards | March 9, 2023 | Animation | Christi Soper Hilt | Nominated |
References
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