Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment are firming up the voice cast for the animated sequelThe Secret Life of Pets 2, and there’s an unsurprising switcheroo in store for the lead role.Louis C.K.voiced protagonist Max in the 2016 smash hit, butDeadlinereports thatPatton Oswaltwill now be taking over the role. The reasons are obvious: C.K. fessed up to sexual harassment last year and has largely been out of the public eye ever since, and Universal doesn’t exactly want to gamble with a franchise as valuable as this one.
Oswalt is a swell choice to fill the role, and the rest of the cast is pretty exciting as well.Harrison Fordwill be taking his first animated voice role ever in the film, and while it’s unknown what kind of animal he’ll be playing, might I humbly suggest a stoner turtle?Tiffany Haddish,Nick Kroll, andPete Holmeswill provide other new voices alongside returning actorsKevin Hart,Jenny Slate,Eric Stonestreet,Ellie Kemper,Lake Bell,Dana Carvey,Hannibal Buress, andBobby Moynihan.
DirectorChris Renaudand writerBrian Lynchreprise their duties for this sequel, as the originalSecret Life of Petswas something of a test balloon to see if Illumination could succeed outside the realm of theDespicable Mefranchise. The minions-focused movies were gargantuan hits, butSecret Life of Petswas a new original—the story of what pets do while their owners are at work. The film grossed $875 million worldwide, and just a few months later Illumination’sSinggrossed $634 million, solidifying Illumination as an animation powerhouse to rival Pixar, Disney, and DreamWorks Animation at the box office.
The Secret Life of Pets2won’t hit theaters until June 06, 2025. Next up for Illumination is another “original” of sorts—Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch, which opens this November. Then the studio is on the sequel track withMinions 2andSing 2both arriving in 2020. Beyond that, they’re obviously developingDespicable Me 4, but Illumination is also spearheadinga new animatedMariofilmin coordination with Nintendo.
