Dreamworks is pulling off a job—and no, it has nothing to do with pulling a fast one on the Boss Baby. The animation house’s latest film is bringing a good old con to the big screen, anthropomorphic animal style. The Bad Guys trailer follows a crew of career criminals who have decided to change their ways. Just kidding, they have no intention of actually being good. But they are using goodness as a ploy to stay out of jail after their latest heist goes wrong. But this is a Dreamworks movie, after all, so I have a sneaking suspicion there’s an important lesson in all this.
Will they actually become “good guys” after all? Check out the trailer.
The titular crew consists of the following: Pickpocket Mr. Wolf, safecracker Mr. Snake, master of disguise Mr. Shark, chief muscle Mr. Piranha, and hacker Ms. Tarantula. Obviously, each of them ticks off a very important part of the crime ecosystem, so it’s unsurprising they’re very good at their jobs. But even Danny Ocean made a giant mistake when the fence for the Incan matrimonial head masks didn’t come through. Anyway…
Here’s the rest of the synopsis:
But when, after years of countless heists and being the world’s most-wanted villains, the gang is finally caught, Mr. Wolf brokers a deal (that he has no intention of keeping) to save them all from prison: The Bad Guys will go good.
Under the tutelage of their mentor Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade, Paddington 2), an arrogant (but adorable!) guinea pig, The Bad Guys set out to fool the world that they’ve been transformed. Along the way, though, Mr. Wolf begins to suspect that doing good for real may give him what he’s always secretly longed for: acceptance. So when a new villain threatens the city, can Mr. Wolf persuade the rest of the gang to become … The Good Guys?
![The titular heist crew for the animated movie The Bad Guys, a shot from the trailer.](https://legendary-digital-network-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/12182310/the-bad-guys.jpg)
Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, and Awkwafina voice the central quintet. Based on the book series by Aaron Blabey, The Bad Guys sees Pierre Perifel make his directorial debut. Zazie Beetz, Lilly Singh, and Alex Borstein round out the cast. Damon Ross and Rebecca Huntley produce, with Aaron Blabey, Etan Cohen, and Patrick Hughes serving as executive producers.
The Bad Guys releases in theaters on April 22.