Sing 2: Release Date, Cast And More

If you simply can't handle the silliness of "Despicable Me" and the "Minions" franchises, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment offered a nice musical alternative in 2016 with "Sing." The animated film took place in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals and followed a struggling theater owner who decided to hold a singing competition, offering an exciting opportunity for a variety of animals from all walks of life to make their dreams come true. The musical extravaganza featured over 60 famous songs performed throughout the movie, and now a whole new story and soundtrack will be on the way with "Sing 2." We've got everything you need to know about the sequel.

"Sing 2" was originally meant to arrive in theaters on Christmas Day last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the movie being pushed back to a summer 2021 release. When spring 2020 rolled around, the movie ended up being pushed back to a holiday release date again, this time on December 22, 2021. 

For now, it's being exclusively released in theaters, but that could change depending on the box office environment when the holidays roll around, just as "Halloween Kills" is getting released on Peacock the same day it hit theaters.

"Sing 2" is the sequel to Illumination Entertainment's hit animated family comedy "Sing," which earned over $634 million at the worldwide box office. After making a splash at the New Moon Theater, the ever-optimistic koala Buster Moon wants to take things to the next level by creating an all-new dazzling stage extravaganza at the massive Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City. But he's got an uphill battle to convince the big executives to help him and his talented animal friends get the show off the ground, and their only chance to make it happen is by convincing the world's most reclusive rock star to join them.

Here's the official synopsis for "Sing 2":

Buster (Matthew McConaughey) has turned the New Moon Theater into a local hit, but Buster has his eyes on a bigger prize: Debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City.

But with no connections, Buster and his cast—including harried mother pig Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), rocker porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson), earnest gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton), shy elephant Meena (Tori Kelly) and, of course, porcine provocateur Gunter (Nick Kroll)—have to sneak their way into the world-famous Crystal Entertainment offices, run by ruthless mogul wolf Jimmy Crystal (Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale).

In a desperate attempt to get Mr. Crystal's attention, Gunter spontaneously pitches an outrageous idea that Buster quickly runs with, promising that their new show will star lion rock legend Clay Calloway (Bono). Problem is, Buster has never met Clay, an artist who shut himself away from the world more than a decade ago after the loss of his wife. Even worse, Buster has failed to realize that Mr. Crystal is an egocentric gangster who would rather drop somebody off the roof of a building than be lied to.

As Gunter helps Buster dream up an out-of-this-world theatrical masterpiece, and the pressure (and sinister threats) from Mr. Crystal mount, Rosita's leading role in the show gets ripped away and handed to Mr. Crystal's spoiled daughter, Porsha, played by Grammy-nominated artist Halsey. Desperate to save the show, and his life, Buster embarks on a quest to find Clay and persuade him to return to the stage.

What begins as a dream of big-time success becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.

That's a lot to take in for a family film coming out just a few days before Christmas. But if there's one thing that makes the holidays that much more enjoyable, it's reminding kids of their own mortality, the difficulties of navigating a capitalist society, and how all the rest of life's trials and tribulations don't care if you can sing like an angel.

"Sing 2" is bringing back many of cast members from the original movie. Matthew McConaughey returns as koala Buster Moon along with mother pig Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), rocker porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson), earnest gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton), shy elephant Meena (Tori Kelly), and porcine provocateur Gunter (Nick Kroll).

New cast members include U2 frontman Bono as legendary rocker lion Clay Calloway (seen above), Bobby Cannavale as Crystal Entertainment's ruthless wolf mogul, Halsey as Mr. Crystal's spoiled daughter Porsha, and the voices of Pharrell Williams, Nick Offerman, Letitia Wright, Eric André, Chelsea Peretti, and Garth Jennings in other roles.

"Sing 2" is written and directed by Garth Jennings, who wrote and directed the first film. Jennings previously directed the big screen adaptation of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and the indie darling "Son of Rambow."

Fun Fact: Garth Jennings has a history of playing bit parts in Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy. In "Shaun of the Dead," he's credited as "Fun Dead" Zombie, in "Hot Fuzz" he's a crack addict, and in "The World's End" he plays a man in the fifth pub. Jennings also has a history of directing music videos for Fatboy Slim, REM, Radiohead, and Vampire Weekend.