DreamWorks Animation Expands ‘The Bad Guys’ Franchise with New Netflix Series

DreamWorks Animation has announced a significant expansion of one of its recent film franchises, “The Bad Guys.” The studio is introducing a new television series titled “The Bad Guys: Breaking In.” The production is described as a CG-animated heist comedy series and will have its exclusive premiere on the streaming platform Netflix.

This launch marks an escalation of the franchise’s small-screen strategy. The new series follows two previous Netflix productions, the television specials “A Very Bad Holiday” and “Haunted Heist.” However, unlike those one-off special broadcasts, “The Bad Guys: Breaking In” is presented as a serialized story that unfolds over six episodes. This move indicates a concerted effort by the studio to develop the intellectual property as a multi-platform brand, using the episodic series format to maintain audience interest and build out the franchise’s world between major film releases.

Narrative Premise and Plot Context

The new series serves as a prequel to the successful feature film. The narrative explores the gang’s “formative stages as aspiring criminals,” placing it chronologically long before the redemption events that defined the movie.

You May Also Like‘Sweet Magnolias’ (2020-) Season 3 on Netflix: A Charming Series in a Sweet Town

The official plot synopsis centers on the team’s attempts to forge their reputation. The main character, Mr. Wolf, is determined for the gang to reach the top of the “Worst of the Worst” list on the “6 News Nightly” broadcast. To achieve this goal, Mr. Wolf demands his companions execute “bolder” and “bigger” heists.

A central comedic element of the series, consistent with the franchise’s tone, is that the team “isn’t exactly great at being bad.” Their efforts to gain infamy and prove their criminal skills often result in comical failures.

The decision to set the series as a prequel is a strategic narrative choice. While the original film and its upcoming sequel focus on the gang’s redemption arc and their attempts to be good, the television series avoids this main plotline. Instead, it opts to “delve into the backstory” and explore the ensemble’s dynamics during their formative years. This strategy allows the studio to generate new content and expand the character universe, building on the foundation of Aaron Blabey’s book series without interfering with the high-stakes narrative arcs reserved for the theatrical releases.

The Production Team: A Proven DWATV Approach

The series is produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and is based on the work of Aaron Blabey. Creative leadership rests with executive producers Bret Haaland and Katherine Nolfi.

Haaland’s involvement is noteworthy, as he brings significant prior experience in adapting major DreamWorks film properties into episodic formats, with his most prominent credit being Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Assigning a veteran producer with this specific expertise underscores the application of a proven production model by DreamWorks Animation Television: translating a high-budget film property into a sustainable and profitable product for the streaming market.

Although the television series is under the direction of Haaland and Nolfi, the film’s creative team remained involved. The feature film team, including director Pierre Perifel, reportedly “was close by to give… their guidance,” along with co-director JP Sans and producer Damon Ross. This collaborative model aims to ensure brand continuity and artistic vision, while the television production team executes the series within the cost and scheduling realities of episodic animation. The executive producers have noted that the series focuses on exploring the band’s personalities and how they relate to each other. Executive producer Katherine Nolfi has highlighted the collaborative nature of the production, citing key contributions from art director Jonathan Pyun, line producer Shaun Avnet, as well as the teams of writers, storyboard artists, CG animators, and composition.

Recommended Reading‘La Palma’ – Netflix’s Norwegian Disaster Drama Hits the Shores

The Voice Cast: A Strategic and Consistent Shift

A significant change from the feature film is the voice cast. The series introduces an entirely new set of voice actors for the main crew. Reports confirm that “none of the original cast from the films are returning.”

In the feature film, the main roles were played by Sam Rockwell (Mr. Wolf), Marc Maron (Mr. Snake), Awkwafina (Ms. Tarantula), Craig Robinson (Mr. Shark), and Anthony Ramos (Mr. Piranha).

For the television series, these roles are taken over by a new cast: Michael Godere voices Mr. Wolf, Chris Diamantopoulos as Mr. Snake, Mallory Low as Ms. Tarantula, Ezekiel Ajeigbe as Mr. Shark, and Raul Ceballos as Mr. Piranha.

The supporting cast is rounded out by established voice actors and comedians, including Zehra Fazal (as Tiffany Fluffit), Patton Oswalt (as Mr. Wigglesworth), and Kate Mulgrew (as Serpentina).

This cast change appears to be a deliberate, two-tiered talent strategy by the studio. The voice actors for the television series are not entirely new to the roles; most are “reprising their roles from the previous Bad Guys specials on Netflix,” A Very Bad Holiday and Haunted Heist.

This approach suggests the previous specials served as a proving ground for the new cast. The studio reserves the high-profile movie stars for big-budget cinematic events, while cultivating a separate—but now familiar—television cast for the Netflix audience, which is more financially sustainable for the higher-volume production of a TV series.

Structure, Format, and Launch

“The Bad Guys: Breaking In” is a television series based on the successful Scholastic book series by Aaron Blabey. The first season consists of six episodes. The estimated runtime for each episode is 20 to 30 minutes. This format allows for a “serialized story” designed to “deepen the backstory” leading into the events of the original film.

The first season of “The Bad Guys: Breaking In” will premiere exclusively on Netflix on November 7.

More Like This

Netflix Delves into the Labyrinth of “The Monster of Florence” with New Series

Ripley (2024) – Netflix Mini-Series: the best adaptation to date of Patricia Highsmith’s character

HBO Original Drama Series “Industry” Returns for Thrilling Third Season on August 11

“Schmigadoon!” Season 2 on Friday, April 7

Netflix Releases Examination of Notorious South African Criminal Case

Netflix’s ‘Delirium’: A Psychological Dive into a Fractured Mind and a Nation’s Past