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Awkwafina returns as narrator of ‘A Real Bug's Life' season 2

Awkwafina returns as narrator of ‘A Real Bug's Life' season 2

'A Real Bug's Life' returns for another season of microscopic and dynamic worlds. This new season of the National Geographic series follows new creatures ranging from a hermit crab looking for its new shell home on the beach to a hibiscus harlequin surviving in the Australian outback. Awkwafina, narrator of the season, spoke of the challenge of helping bring this project to life once again.
'When you're in the booth, you're learning so much about things that you never paid a lot of thought to,' Awkwafina said. 'You're also adding humor and voice and kind of personifying [the insects].'
Awkwafina, who is known for her acting in movies like 'Crazy Rich Asians' and 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,' is no stranger to the recording booth. Along with her acting experience, she has voiced characters like Raya from Disney's 'Raya and the Last Dragon' and 'Kung Fu Panda 4.'
'When I was in high school, I was really into this movie called 'Microcosmos,' which was able to film bugs from a very intense angle. I've also always been a huge fan of David Attenborough,' she said.
Awkwafina, who returns from narrating Season 1 of 'A Real Bug's Life,' said she fell in love with the wide array of natural environments the series captured for audiences. In addition to the diversity of these ecosystems, she said she hopes viewers will develop a greater appreciation for the absurdity and work that goes into capturing these small but significant insects.
'I found myself deeply moved by the kind of preciousness, the windows of time that some of them have, the ways that they band together to help one another, and the ways that they fall in love,' she said.
Season 2 of 'A Real Bug's Life' is available to stream on Disney+. Related
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Dear Disney Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendar for August 21
Dear Disney Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendar for August 21

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Dear Disney Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendar for August 21

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Quiz: Guess The Disney "Zombies" Movie From One Frame
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Quiz: Guess The Disney "Zombies" Movie From One Frame

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Chartbreaker: Why Royel Otis Says Creating New Album ‘Hickey' Felt ‘Like Speed Dating'
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Chartbreaker: Why Royel Otis Says Creating New Album ‘Hickey' Felt ‘Like Speed Dating'

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We never really had a thing like that.' The strength of such hits also gave the duo some additional muscle in conversations with labels as they sought a U.S. record deal. 'We felt like we hit a ceiling in some ways, especially in the U.S.,' Klippel says. 'We felt like we really needed a major-label partner [and] had the right leverage to be a priority within that system.' Plus, he wanted to ensure that with the success of 'Murder on the Dancefloor' and 'Linger' that Royel Otis didn't 'become a cover band,' he says. In November, Royel Otis inked a deal with Capitol Records in partnership with OURNESS. Pavlovic and Maddell swiftly got to work on its next album at the start of 2025 — this time, with a host of established hitmakers to help, including Amy Allen, Blake Slatkin, Omer Fedi and Jungle's Josh Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto. 'When you're working with that many people, at first, it's a bit like speed dating,' says Maddell. 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(It also cracked the top 10 on Rock & Alternative Airplay in late July.) The duo has followed 'Moody' with a pair of tracks detailing relationships on the rocks in 'Car' and 'Say Something,' as it gears to release Hickey later this month. And there will be no rest for the weary after the album is out: Royel Otis launches a 12-date North American headlining tour in September, followed by a return to Australia in October before traversing Europe to close the year. Klippel suggests that Pavlovic and Maddell will then have a good amount of time to enjoy some well-deserved rest. After all, despite the fast pace right now, he says the ultimate goal is more of a marathon mentality. 'I just want to see growth — I don't mind if it's not meteoric,' says Klippel. 'That's how the team feels about the project, and I think that's a good place to be.' A version of this story appears in the Aug. 16, 2025, issue of Billboard. 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