Apr 15, 2019

Universal will push back the release date of the sequel to "Sing" and "Croods"

Universal Pictures is pushing back the release dates of two of its upcoming animated sequels: Sing 2 and The Croods 2.

Sing 2, from Illumination Entertainment, the new installment in the franchise following a group of talented performing animals, is now scheduled to open theatrically on Friday, July 2, 2021, six months later than its original release date of December 23, 2020.

That date - December 23, 2020 - will now be taken by Dreamworks Animation's The Croods 2, which was originally set to hit screens on Friday, September 18, 2020.

Released in late 2016, the original Sing grossed $634.1 million worldwide, making it a major box office success for Illumination. The sequel will bring back writer-director Garth Jennings, as well as voice cast members Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Nick Kroll, and Tori Kelly. This time around the singing band of misfits will leave the Moon Theater to try their luck in the big city.

Directed by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders, Dreamworks' The Croods made $587.2 million globally when it was released in 2013 and earned an Oscar nomination for best animated feature. Its sequel was reported to be shelved in 2016, but now with Dreamworks settled in at Universal, the follow-up appears to be moving forward again.

With a release date of December 23, 2020, The Croods 2 will compete against Disney/Fox's Avatar 2, scheduled to open December 18. The film could run into heavy traffic at theaters; other films currently slated for release on the same day include a Disney live-action film, an untitled Warner Bros. event feature, and an untitled Paramount/Skydance project.

DeMicco and Sanders won't return to direct the sequel. Instead, veteran story artist Joel Crawford, who was head of story on Trolls,, will make his feature directorial debut with the sequel. Croods 2 will feature the voices of original cast members Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman, and Clark Duke, as well as add Leslie Mann and Peter Dinklage to its cast. The story takes place around the Croods family's encounter with a new family.