THE BAD GUYS: A VERY BAD HOLIDAY (2023): Netflix Slated to Stream Prequel to 2022 Hit Animated Film

The Bad Guys Prequel Coming in Time For the Holidays

There is a holiday-themed prequel to the 2022 smash hit, The Bad Guys, which will be airing on Netflix late next month.

About a year and a half ago, Sam Rockwell headed the voice cast of the animated box-office success, The Bad Guys. Now, fans of the hit movie will get to see their animal characters return for a 22-minute long Christmas-themed special titled The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday. While people are excited about this Netflix short film, don’t expect to hear Rockwell playing Mr. Wolf again. The key voice-over roles of the 2022 film have all seemingly been recast.

The Bad Guys earned a solid straight “A” CinemaScore and packed movie theaters earning a whopping $97 million domestically and another $152 million internationally. Though it didn’t get any Oscar love, it did make for one of the more financially successful animated pictures of its respective year.

The plot of the new animated special will be set before the events of the 2022 film. It will center around Christmastime as our heroic criminals set out to take advantage of those celebrating Christmas by pulling off a heist. But, Christmas is soon cancelled and our kind-hearted baddies must decide whether or not to give back to the community in the name of the holiday spirit.

Netflix is a natural place for this short prequel to thrive. Given the big box-office success of the first film, it would take a lot of planning to duplicate that picture’s success in a feature-length sequel. Don’t count out a feature-length sequel at some point in the future, but, for now, viewers can enjoy the holiday special several weeks before Christmas and its length makes it perfect for repeat viewings.

Michael Godere will be assuming the voice-over work as the usually well-dressed Mr. Wolf in the upcoming 22-minute animated holiday treat that is slated to begin showing on Netflix on November 30th. Other vocal talents featured in the central roles of the Christmas special include Ezekiel Ajeigbe playing Shark, Raul Ceballos starring as Piranha, Chris Diamantopoulos serving as Snake and Mallory Low voicing Tarantula, a part made famous by the voice of Awkwafina.

The new casting choices may bring different takes to the non-human characters who populate this franchise. Rockwell simply nailed the role of Mr. Wolf but Godere has a large following from work he did in shows such as “Mayor of Kingstown.” Godere could do just as well in the part originated by Rockwell. Godere actually did some voice-over work in the 2022 The Bad Guys film but in two roles different from that of Mr. Wolf.

The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday seems poised to be one of the most-watched animated pictures on Netflix this holiday season. Don’t miss the chance to brighten up your holidays by taking a peek at it when it starts streaming on November 30th.

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