The character needs the help of the nowreformed Bad Guys to execute her global heist. Danielle Brooks channeled a Quentin Tarantino character for her Bad Guys 2

The character needs the help of the now-reformed Bad Guys to execute her global heist.

Danielle Brooks channeled a Quentin Tarantino character for her Bad Guys 2 bad girl Kitty Kat

The character needs the help of the now-reformed Bad Guys to execute her global heist.

By Gerrad Hall

Gerrad Hall is an editorial director at **, overseeing movie, awards, and music coverage. He is also host of the the *Awardist* podcast, and cohosts EW's live Oscars, Emmys, SAG, and Grammys red carpet shows. He has appeared on *Good Morning America*, *The Talk*, *Access Hollywood*, *Extra!*, and other talk shows, delivering the latest news on pop culture and entertainment.

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Published on July 22, 2025 10:30AM EDT

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Pigtail (Maria Bakalova), Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks), and Doom (Natasha Lyonne) in 'The Bad Guys 2'. Credit:

Universal Pictures

- Danielle Brooks voices snow leopard Kitty Kat in the sequel to 2022's *The Bad Guys 2*.

- Director Pierre Perifel wanted her to watch Christoph Waltz's performance in *Inglourious Basterds* for inspiration.

- The movie draws from books 5 and 8 of author Aaron Blabey's 20-book series.

It's good to be bad, as the saying goes — and Danielle Brooks is leaning into that sentiment for *The Bad Guys 2*.

In the sequel to Universal and DreamWorks' 2022 animated hit, the Oscar nominee voices snow leopard Kitty Kat, the leader of the Bad Girls, which also includes wild boar Pigtail (Maria Bakalova) and raven Doom (Natasha Lyonne). The trio has nefarious plans for a global heist — and they need the help of the now-reformed Bad Guys: Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Snake (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina). The guys, though, are trying to maintain their new "good guys" image and thwart the Bad Girls' plans.

Brooks tells ** she was inspired by the smooth, careful, and quick movements of leopards for her approach to the character's voice, and she was especially intrigued by Kitty Kat's "mischievous spirit." Pierre Perifel, who directed the first movie and the sequel (in theaters Aug. 1), recommended Brooks study Christoph Waltz's Oscar-winning performance in Quentin Tarantino's *Inglourious Basterds* for inspiration.

"It feels like he took joy in what he was doing, and he chose a slow burn in getting to what he wanted because that was the joy for him," Brooks explains of Waltz's cunning SS officer, Hans Landa. "I feel like that was the same for Kitty. She's not going to immediately tell the Bad Guys what the plan is right from the jump. She decides to milk the moment."

Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell) in 'The Bad Guys 2).

Universal Pictures

Like the *Basterds* scene where Hans Landa slyly manipulates a French farmer to reveal whether he's hiding Jewish people, Perifel wanted to mimic the tension Tarantino created with a character who was "in control of everything."

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"She has them where she wants them," the director says of Kitty Kat's influence over the Bad Guys. "She can do whatever she wants. She's already won. It's checkmate."

Perifel also drew from the James Bond film *Skyfall*, specifically the scene where Javier Bardem's Raoul Silva delivers a monologue about rats to Daniel Craig's Bond, as well as an interrogation between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper in *True Romance*.

Kitty's sparring partner is her crime-committing hero, Bad Guys mastermind Wolf. "She's always 20 steps ahead of things. But that's what keeps it really interesting with Wolf because Wolf is actually 25 steps ahead of her, and so she's learning from someone that she has deemed an icon in her head," Brooks says. "She's actually getting to scam him while also learning from him."

Just as she did with the guy playing him (the learning part, not the scamming). Rare for animated projects, Brooks was actually able to record her dialogue with Sam Rockwell.

Pigtail, Kitty Kat, and Doom in 'The Bad Guys 2'.

Universal Pictures

"There's something about working with Sam, who's played Wolf before and has spent a lot of time with Wolf," she explains. "He helped me relax into the character and really become more natural with the performance than I probably would have without working with him in the room."

In addition to expanding the film franchise's cast of characters with some of those featured in author Aaron Blabey's 20-book *The Bad Guys* series, Perifel says the filmmaking team, which also includes co-director JP Sans, specifically drew from book 5, *Intergalactic Gas*, for one out-of-this-world idea.

"The way we're using these books is much more of an inspiration of ideas and characters and moments and beats and set pieces rather than following a storyline," he explains. "We really wanted to go and explore what [outer space] would be...So we knew we had the big set piece where they steal the rocket and go to space."

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Looking to their own kids as a gauge for what to include, Perifel says one gag in the books was a must for the big screen, when Piranha, who shares a space suit with Wolf (Snake for the movie), becomes gassy after eating too many burritos.

Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Ms. Tarantula, and Mr. Wolf in 'The Bad Guys 2'.

Universal Pictures

"As dads, we're like, all right, first of all, it's so funny," Perifel shares, laughing. "But also, our kids, it's their favorite gag, so we had to explore this."

Brooks is excited to share the movie with her 5-year-old daughter, who already recognizes her voice from the trailer.

"I'm going to take her to the premiere with my husband, so it'll be her first carpet. I'm really excited to watch and experience this with her as she's getting older," Brooks says. She's just hoping her daughter won't be a *bad girl*. "She's very vocal and we're having to teach her [that she] can't be screaming, 'That's my mommy!' We're working on it."**

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