The Quiet Moment That Made ‘The Bad Guys 2’ Unforgettable

DreamWorks Animation’s "The Bad Guys 2" is a film that stands out for its grand and elaborate set pieces. The sequel, which is based on the popular book series by Aaron Blabey and directed by Pierre Perifel—just like the first film—features even more ambitious action sequences that take the animal thieves, led by Sam Rockwell’s Big Bad Wolf, into uncharted territory. One of the most remarkable moments in the movie occurs in the climax, where the gang ventures into outer space. It’s a sequence that could make Tom Cruise proud.

However, one of the most emotionally powerful moments in the film is also its quietest. After a failed spy operation that leads to an entire arena full of luchador fans chasing the titular gang, Wolf makes a phone call to his presumed love interest, Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz), who is now the state’s governor. He is alone at a payphone in the middle of the desert, with intense lighting and a desolate mood surrounding him. It’s unusual to think of Wim Wenders’ melancholic "Paris, Texas" while watching an energetic animated film, especially one that includes a long gag about a character farting in a space suit. Yet, this scene manages to stand out as a moment of emotional depth.

Perifel, the director, had always envisioned this scene from the very beginning of the story development. "This scene was there from when I first started thinking about the story," he explained. "I knew from early on that I wanted Diane and Wolf to end up together. They were such a great couple. But the problem was that our bad guys were on the run, so there was no way she could be with them. I needed a scene halfway through the story to bring them together without actually having them together."

To achieve this, Perifel came up with the idea of Wolf using a phone that can’t be tracked. This setup allowed for a meaningful connection between the two characters, even though they are physically apart.

When staging the scene, Perifel created a camera move that mirrored both characters. "The camera starts wide and then slowly, across the cuts, comes in closer and closer, parallel between him and her, and then comes very close and lines up so that at the end their muzzles are facing close to each other," he described. "It’s almost like a kiss. I really wanted to show that connection. I wanted to play with what wasn’t said in between the lines of dialogue, where you can tell that they are talking about something and she’s really worried and they really care for each other."

The distance and connection between the characters are also reflected in the lighting of the scene. "Every scene in this movie has a clear lighting and mood direction," Perifel said. "Every scene is very moody."

For Wolf’s side of the scene, the team emphasized a "shower light on top of him." For Diane’s side, they contrasted this with a warmer environment, illuminated by the glow from the television. "There was the idea to immerse our characters in their own environment," he added. "That was the main point. What played in our favor, though, is the style of lighting for ‘The Bad Guys.’ Because we’re stylized, characters have a rim light. The moment you have a rim light, you immediately can play them a bit more graphic."

This story first ran in the Awards Preview issue of ‘s awards magazine. Read more from the issue here.

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