Bad Guys 2 Director Spoofs Elon Musk’s SpaceX
The Bad Guys 2 Director on Space Adventures, Elon Musk Parallels, and Future Sequels
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The animated heist comedy The Bad Guys took audiences by storm with its charmingly villainous protagonists and slick animation. Now,director Pierre Perifel is back at the helm for The Bad guys 2,promising even bigger stakes and more daring escapades. We sat down with Perifel to discuss the film’s ambitious space sequence, the uncanny parallels to Elon Musk, and the potential for a third installment in the beloved franchise.
A Leap into the Cosmos: crafting the Space Sequence
One of the most talked-about aspects of The Bad Guys 2 is its audacious venture into space. Perifel admits that bringing this sequence to life was a significant undertaking, but one that was met with enthusiasm.
“we were looking forward to that,” Perifel shared. “It’s a dream to shoot something like this. The big challenge was to make sure that the audience would be on board with us as it’s jumping the shark a little bit by going and sending a character clinging onto a rocket. it had to feel realistic, so we used a lot of reference footage of NASA and ‘Ad Astra’ and ‘Interstellar.’ Those movies have take-offs that were shot beautifully.we wanted to use that language to make sure that the audience would be on board with us and feel the danger and the power of that. All while the music was supporting this.When they arrive in space, there’s the big release of ‘They did it.'”
The director emphasized the importance of grounding the fantastical element in a sense of reality, drawing inspiration from cinematic portrayals of space travel to ensure audience immersion. The goal was to capture the awe and peril of such an endeavor, making the characters’ success a truly triumphant moment.
Uncanny Echoes: The Elon Musk Connection
The film features a character, Mr. Moon, and a company, MoonX, that bear a striking resemblance to tech mogul Elon Musk and his SpaceX venture. perifel addressed the perceived parallels, noting that while the inspiration wasn’t direct, the timing has made the connection especially noteworthy.”What’s really obvious to me is we spoofed MoonX,SpaceX. And we have someone who’s going to conquer the stars,” Perifel explained. “I don’t think the character of Mr. Moon is necessarily inspired by Elon himself. He’s such a cute, little bubbly character in the movie. But it’s weird, to your point, it’s weird that now Elon has been popping as somebody who’s a very odd, big figure now, and enmeshed into all these things with Trump. Now, it’s easy, in retrospect, to say you guys used Elon as a reference, but it was not really the case for us. It was more of a coincidence, if you want, except, again, for the name of the company.”
While the name “MoonX” was a deliberate nod, Perifel clarified that the character of Mr. Moon was conceived independently of Musk’s public persona. The uncanny timing of the film’s release, coupled with Musk’s increasingly prominent and sometimes controversial public profile, has inadvertently amplified the perceived connection.
The Future of the Bad guys: Awaiting the Audience’s Call
Fans are already clamoring for more adventures with the charismatic criminal crew. Perifel confirmed that the team is indeed thinking about a third film, but its realization hinges on audience reception.
“definitely,” Perifel stated when asked about Bad Guys 3. ”The main thing is, will the audience love this? Is the audience going to be here? If the audience wants a third ’Bad guys,’ we’re already thinking. We have tons of ideas because this world is such a fantastic toolbox, and we’ve laid out thoughts on what a third could be.”
The rich world-building and the beloved characters provide fertile ground for future stories. The success of The Bad Guys 2 will ultimately dictate whether the team gets to embark on another thrilling caper. The desire to see the characters together, a sentiment shared by many fans, is a driving force behind the potential for a sequel.
This interview has been edited and condensed.