For the past three years, DreamWorks has been releasing two animated films a year, and in 2022, they’re showing no signs of slowing down! The studio’s first of two films this year, The Bad Guys, is now here. The movie is based on the children’s graphic novel series of the same name, written and illustrated by Australian author Aaron Blabey.

Directed by Pierre Perifel, with a screenplay by Etan Cohen, the film follows a ragtag group of criminal animals, known as The Bad Guys. After their latest scheme goes wrong, they get caught and after much thinking, they decide to try and change their ways. They’re going to try being good guys instead! Unfortunately, they quickly realize find that being ‘the good guys’ isn’t as easy as it seems, especially as a new villain arrives in the city and begins their master plan.

The ‘Bad Guys’ crew is led by pick-pocketer Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), but you’re probably wondering who else is in the gang? There’s safe-cracker Mr. Snake (Marc Meron), hothead fighter Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), and hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina). The film also stars Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd) and Zazie Beetz (Atlanta) in supporting roles. With the talented team at DreamWorks Animation behind this star-studded and dazzling animated film, audiences are sure to have a fun, comedic, and action-packed time. However, there’s still the big question that needs to be answered: how are you going to watch it?

Editor's Note: This piece was updated on November 6 to include new streaming details.

the-bad-guys-3
Image via Dreamworks

Related:DreamWorks' 10 Best Movie Scores, That We Can't Get Out Of Our Head

Watch the Trailer of The Bad Guys

If you want a first look at The Bad Guys before seeing it, look no further than its official theatrical trailer below!

Is The Bad Guys Still in Movie Theaters?

In the United States, The Bad Guys was released exclusively in theaters on Friday, April 22, 2022.

Unlike DreamWorks Animation’s previous film, The Boss Baby: Family Business, The Bad Guys was not released in theaters and online for streaming on the same day.

When and Where Will The Bad Guys Arrive on Streaming?

After a four-month streaming run on Peacock, The Bad Guys has moved over to Netflix, where it is currently available to stream.

Watch on Netflix

The Bad Guys is also available to rent or purchase on demand and on physical media.

Related:13 Best Animated Movie Villains of the 2010s

How To Watch Other DreamWorks Animation Films

Dreamworks-Animated-Franchises

If you’re already a big DreamWorks Animation fan, or you want to check out their library before The Bad Guys releases, it remains difficult to get access to all their films. In July 2021, Netflix and Universal (DreamWorks’ owner) made an agreement for Netflix to become the streaming hub for DreamWorks Animation’s library of films. Despite this, not everything can be found on the streaming service yet.

Depending on what you want to watch, you’ll need to look up which streaming service it’s currently on, as even popular franchises such as Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, and Madagascar are all split up across different services. If you’re up for the challenge though, these franchises offer tons of entertaining moments for younger viewers and adults alike! You can read about some below:

Shrek: Arguably DreamWorks' most well-known animated franchise, Shrek follows the story of the titular ogre, voiced by Mike Myers. Shrek must go on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from a dangerous dragon-guarded castle. Along the way, he begrudgingly becomes friends with a fast-talking donkey, imaginatively named Donkey (Eddie Murphy), who helps Shrek develop a new perspective on life in the world full of fairy tale creatures. The series consists of four movies, as well as a spin-off of fan-favorite character Puss In Boots.

How To Train Your Dragon: Based on the popular children’s novels series of the same name, How to Train Your Dragon follows a young Viking boy named Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel. Living on the Isle of Berk, Hiccup’s tribe sees dragons only as a threat to humans, so they hunt them down. When Hiccup manages to capture one though, he and the dragon he names Toothless form a heartwarming bond. Together, they seek to change the tribe’s views on dragons and how they can live in harmony with humankind.

Madagascar: This beloved movie showcases the crazy story of four Central Park Zoo animals who escape captivity, and through an unusual turn of events, find themselves in Madagascar. Our core group consists of Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer). Though already friends, their unlikely situation in Madagascar allows them to grow, strengthening their relationships with one another as they try to make it back home to New York.

Kung Fu Panda: Kung Fu Panda is the epic tale of a panda named Po (Jack Black) who is destined to become the Dragon Warrior, a legendary protector of China. Po is an incredibly unlikely hero-in-the-making as he learns to train alongside his heroes, The Furious Five, led by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman). Becoming a hero is never easy, but with the support of his family and new team, Po embraces his destiny and prepares for an epic showdown with the ruthless Tai Lung (Ian McShane).

Trolls: Believe it or not, this is a musical adventure about... trolls! The story follows Poppy (Anna Kendrick), princess of the troll kingdom, and the anxious survivalist Branch (Justin Timberlake) as they team up to defend their kingdom from Bergens, creatures that love eating trolls. Together, Poppy and Branch travel to Bergen Town to rescue their friends and family, singing and dancing along the way, which proves to be key to saving the day. Both movies released so far in the Trolls series are available to rent or buy on numerous online stores, giving you plenty of time to catch up on the series before Trolls 3 arrives in theaters in November 2023!