The excellent box office performance of The Bad Guys means that family films continue to be a popular choice for moviegoers — something that Disney should take notice of. In its opening weekend in the U.S., The Bad Guys surpassed fellow new releases The Northman ($12 million) and The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent ($7.2 million) as well as holdovers Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ($15.2 million) and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore ($14 million) in its opening weekend in the United States. The outstanding results show that Disney made a significant error by putting Pixar’s Turning Red on Disney+ right away.
The Bad Guys has a star-studded cast headlined by Oscar-winning actor Sam Rockwell and showcasing the distinctive voice of Richard Ayoade. Based on Aaron Blabey’s popular book series, the animated feature follows a criminal gang made up of anthropomorphic animals, led by Rockwell’s Mr. Wolf, as they pretend to go good. It was released in a number of international markets in mid-March but only made its way to U.S. theaters a month later, on April 22, 2022. Globally, The Bad Guys has already grossed $87 million, and that is set to reach nine figures soon enough following its impressive U.S. debut.
The level of success that The Bad Guys has already achieved is surprising because Mr. Wolf and his friends are not that well-known compared to other family-friendly properties hitting theaters lately. It simply proves that there is high demand for fun adventure films that the whole family can enjoy, no matter if they’re based on nostalgia, a sequel, or some brand new idea. With that in mind, there is no reason Disney shouldn’t give all future Pixar movies a theatrical release as well.
The emerging trend in cinema that The Bad Guys has continued is that family-friendly movies are performing great at the box office. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is currently the fifth highest-grossing movie of 2022 worldwide, having reached almost $300 million. And the animated sequel Sing 2, which was released in December 2021, has grossed more than $400 million globally. Neither of those movies is going to win major accolades, but families go to see them because they are entertaining, action-packed, and full of laughs that kids and parents can enjoy together.
The Bad Guys is created by DreamWorks Animation, which is known for its family-friendly films such as Shrek, Kung-Fu Panda, and The Boss Baby. Given the success of the first film in theatres, the Bad Guys conclusion leaves it open to becoming the company’s next great series. A sequel is almost certain to happen. Disney and Pixar may be the world’s most famous animation studios, but DreamWorks has proven again with The Bad Guys being a box office hit that there’s a benefit to still backing family-friendly movies theatrically.
