Latest news with #AaronBlabey
New York Times
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Bad Guys 2' Review: A Wolf, a Shark, a Snake and a Sequel
Crime doesn't pay, generally at least. And yet adults revel in literary and cinematic fictions of flashy criminals both successful and inept. As law-abiding citizens we can transgress vicariously through such characters. So why shouldn't children be afforded the same opportunities? One supposes the Australian book series 'The Bad Guys,' written by Aaron Blabey, was conceived in response to such a question. 'The Bad Guys 2,' as its title indicates, is the second film about the anthropomorphic animal bank robbers turned do-gooders, led by smooth-as-silk Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell). His accomplices are a panic-prone shark, a purposefully untrustworthy snake, a flatulent piranha and a computer-hacking tarantula. Just go with it. Because there's a lot more to go with after the characters re-establish themselves. Honestly, for a kid's film, this has quite a convoluted plot. A mysterious villain is robbing supplies of a rare metal called, in a cute Hitchcock reference, MacGuffinite. This substance is a magnet for a certain precious metal, and the supervillainess Kitty Kat (voiced by Danielle Brooks) plans to steal gold from a space station. The directors Pierre Perifel and JP Sans put the narrative across with a blithe bounciness, and the all-star voice actors play along nicely. Mr. Wolf seems styled after George Clooney's Danny Ocean, and Sam Rockwell, who acted for Clooney in 2002's 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,' seems to be paying tribute to his former boss. Craig Robinson, Awkwafina, Zazie Beetz and Marc Maron are similarly enjoyable. 'The Bad Guys 2' is no masterpiece — the filmmakers are more enamored with fart-in-a-spacesuit gags than even most kids are likely to be — but it is goofy fun. The Bad Guys 2Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 44 minutes. In theaters.
The Guardian
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Bestselling Australian Bad Guys author Aaron Blabey signs eight-figure deal for seven new books
The Australian bestselling children's author Aaron Blabey has signed an eight-figure deal with the UK, US and Australian arms of Macmillan. The publisher announced the deal on Wednesday, contracting the actor turned writer to produce seven new titles across two new series for the tween reading market. Blabey, whose books have sold about 55m copies, is a New York Times-bestselling author. The Bendigo-born writer's career took off more than a decade ago when he launched his Pig the Pug children's series, a collection of picture books about a small bad-tempered dog. The success of the books in the US was a harbinger to the success the animated television series Bluey is experiencing in the US market, and secured a three-book deal with Scholastic Australia. The second picture book under the deal, Thelma the Unicorn, became a bestseller along with its sequel The Return of Thelma the Unicorn, selling millions of copies. It was adapted by Netflix to make a film. Blabey's graphic novel for primary school age children, The Bad Guys, also with a theme about animals with a bad reputation, became the New York Times No 1 bestselling graphic novel series and was also adapted for the big screen. A sequel is due in 2025. Macmillan announced that the first of Blabey's new series, titled Game of Pets, was a fantasy series expected to debut in 2026. The second, titled The Awfuls, suggests a more psychological sci-fi theme for young readers. 'Aaron's talents are myriad and extraordinary – and among his greatest gifts is his affection for what it means to be a young reader,' said Praveen Naidoo, Pan Macmillan Australia's managing director. In a media release, Blabey was quoted saying: 'In June 2023, I completed the final Bad Guys book – my fortieth title in ten years – and genuinely felt it might be time to retire. I mean, that's a lot of books!' 'However, the infectious enthusiasm of everyone at Macmillan for a pair of new ideas (that I had quietly tucked away) has made me think perhaps all I needed was a holiday and a shot of new positive energy. I am very excited to get back to work.'
