'Sing 2' Cast Now Includes Halsey, Bono, Pharrell, And More
Illumination Entertainment's Sing 2, the sequel to the company's 2016 animated hit musical, has added a trio of one-named singers to its roster.
Halsey, Pharrell, and Bono have joined the Sing 2 cast, as have Bobby Cannavale (Master of None, Ant-Man), Letitia Wright (Black Panther, Mangrove), Eric Andre (The Eric Andre Show, Man Seeking Woman), and Chelsea Peretti (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Game Night).
Bono will play a rock star lion named Clay Calloway who has lost his roar. (Hat tip to FandomWire, who reported Bono's involvement months ago.) Pharrell is playing an ice cream truck-driving elephant named Alfonso, and Halsey will play Porsche, the entitled teenaged wolf daughter of Cannavale's wolf mogul character, Jimmy Crystal.
This new swath of actors will join returning cast members Matthew McConaughey as theater owning koala Buster Moon, Reese Witherspoon as the pig singer Rosita, Scarlett Johansson as a punk rock porcupine named Ash, Taron Egerton as Johnny the gorilla, Tori Kelly as talented elephant Meena, and Nick Kroll as a pig named Gunter.
Garth Jennings is returning to direct, which was part of the reason U2 singer Bono signed on to appear in this sequel. "Garth is a truly great storyteller at whatever age you're in his thrall," Bono said to Rolling Stone. "A courageous one who actually chooses to work with children and animals! I first saw Son of Rambow before it came out at Sundance and was immediately a fan of his. [And] the first Sing was such a treat. I've had some unforgettable experiences watching such animations."
Here is the lengthy official synopsis for Sing 2:
Next holiday season, the new chapter in Illumination's smash animated franchise returns with big dreams and spectacular hit songs as can-do koala Buster Moon and his all-star cast of animal performers prepare to launch their most dazzling stage extravaganza yet...in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There's just one hitch: They first have to persuade the world's most reclusive rock star—played by legendary music icon Bono, making his animated film debut—to join them.
Buster (Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey) and his cast have 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 (Oscar® winner Reese Witherspoon), rocker porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson), earnest gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton), shy elephant Meena (Tori Kelly) and, of course, porcine provocateur extraordinaire Gunter (Nick Kroll)—have to sneak their way into the world-famous Crystal Entertainment offices, run by a ruthless mogul wolf named 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 and hasn't been seen since.
As Gunter helps Buster dream up an out-of-this-world theatrical masterpiece, and the pressure (and sinister threats) from Mr. Crystal mount, Buster embarks on a quest to find Clay and persuade him to return to the stage. What begins as Buster's dream of big-time success becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.
Sing 2 is coming to theaters in the 2021 holiday season.