DreamWorks Learned A Vital Lesson With Puss In Boots 2 – And We're Starting To See Its Impact

Animation has never been more at risk, from the threat of AI replacing animators, to studio consolidation scrapping projects because the big bosses don't care about the medium, or studios straight-up shutting down all in-house productions.

What animation studios remain in production are all focused on one single thing: franchising. As if the IP craze of live-action wasn't enough, the big animation studios like Disney, Warner Bros., and DreamWorks are singularly focused on growing their IP, churning out sequel after sequel (with the occasional original story here and there as a treat). Of course, this isn't automatically a bad thing. Take DreamWorks, who is arguably the champion of animated trilogies ("How to Train Your Dragon," "Madagascar," and "Kung Fu Panda" are all outstanding), and who, in 2022 delivered one of the best animated movies of the decade with "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish."

Since then, DreamWorks has delivered lackluster sequels to successful movies, like "Trolls Band Together" and the disappointing "Kung Fu Panda 4." That seems to be changing with the upcoming "The Bad Guys 2," which DreamWorks showcased at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival to great enthusiasm from the crowds. This feels like the studio learning a vital lesson from "Puss in Boots," and hopefully is a sign of things to come at the studio.

Based on Aaron Blabey's book series of the same name, the first "The Bad Guys" was a fun caper inspired by '70s movies, essentially "Ocean's 11" for kids. It had all the hallmarks of a great heist film, like the cool and memorable crew, a plan that is immediately derailed, fun yet thrilling complications, a good villain, and even better loot.

For the sequel, "The Bad Guys 2" is going bigger and bolder, but not just in terms of pulling another heist. Instead, during the presentation, director Pierre Perifel and co-director JP Sans talked about how Blabey's books tackle different genres (including sci-fi and thriller), so they wanted to do the same and push the story to a new place. This time, it's less a heist movie and more a globetrotting adventure film like "Mission: Impossible," "James Bond," or even "Fast and Furious." There are heists, but the set pieces are bigger and more elaborate, the scope of the action is expanded, and unlike Vin Diesel and company, the Bad Guys don't take nine movies to go to space.

Audiences at Annecy got to experience essentially the entire story, in the form of several 5 to 10-minute clips, and it is clear that the film is trying something different than its predecessor. The movie begins with a robbery at a rich guy's mansion somewhere in the Middle East, and eventually turns into a fight to prevent the hijacking of a spaceship. It's a wild case of escalation from the first movie, and something that "Puss in Boots 2" did splendidly.

What made "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" so good was how different it felt from its predecessor. Compared to other sequels like "Shrek 2" or "Madagascar 2," which retained much of the look and feel of their first movies, "The Last Wish" was a wild departure. The art style was much more stylized and anime-inspired. The story, though still in the same fairy tale world, was both a "Wacky Races" type race to find a magical object, and also a somber, nuanced story of mortality and coming to terms with aging up. It was a very personal story for Antonio Banderas, who delivered a stunning performance.

Of course, the movie went on to become a huge hit and an Oscar nominee. "The Bad Guys 2" though it is very much following the visual template of the first movie (even if it is pushing its live-action cinematic influences with some stunning anamorphic lenses that are combined with an anime-like graphic style) is doing something similar in how much of a departure the tone is from the first movie. Granted, not every DreamWorks sequel has to do this exact thing, but it's the principle of experimenting with sequels and exploring something truly unique that makes the future of the 30-year-old studio exciting.