Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures’ Sing 2 will make its world premiere at AFI Fest, screening in-person at the TCL Chinese Theatre on November 14, the American Film Institute announced today.
The film hitting theaters on December 22 is a sequel to animated musical comedy Sing, which grossed $634 million worldwide, following its release in 2016.
It picks up with theater-owning koala Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) and his all-star cast of performers, at a point when they have have turned their New Moon venue into a local hit. But Buster has his eyes on a much bigger prize: Debuting his new show at the the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City.
In order to make that happen, he’ll have to get a sign-off from Crystal Entertainment’s ruthless mogul wolf, Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Cannavale). In a desperate attempt to do so, Buster tells Crystal that the show will feature a performance by a rock legend, lion Clay Calloway (Bono). The truth is, though, that Buster has never met Clay, who long ago shut himself away from the world, after the loss of his wife. Thus, Buster sets off on an adventure, the goal being to find the performer, and to convince him to return to the stage.
Sing 2 is written and directed by Garth Jennings, who helmed the original. Pic is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy.
The film’s ensemble also includes Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelley and Nick Kroll. Marking Bono’s animated film debut, the sequel also features new characters played by Pharrell Williams, Letitia Wright, Eric Andre, Chelsea Peretti and Grammy winner Halsey.
AFI Fest is taking place this year as a hybrid event, featuring both in-person screenings and events, and virtual screenings, from November 10-14. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Netflix directorial effort tick, tick…BOOM! is opening the festival, as previously announced, with Reinaldo Marcus Green’s sports drama King Richard closing it out.
Other films making their world premieres at the L.A.-based festival include Halle Berry’s directorial debut, Bruised; Benjamin Cleary’s feature directorial debut Swan Song, starring Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close and Awkwafina; Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog.
Those looking to attend in-person events and screenings will need to be fully vaccinated. The full festival program can be found here.
