Hot-off of this summer’s theatrical movie sequel The Bad Guys 2, this DreamWorks Animation gang is now headlining a prequel series. The Bad Guys: Breaking In, from executive producers Bret Haaland and Katherine Nolfi, premieres Wednesday November 6th on Netflix. (This Animation Scoop Interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.)

Jackson Murphy: What excited you the most about exploring the early days of this crew?

Bret Haaland: I was intrigued by the way the Bad Guys would handle their shortcomings by leaning on each other. In one of the episodes, Snake reveals his struggle to deal with his mother, who belittles him with a game designed for master thieves. Snake has never beaten her at this game, but he does when the rest of the Bad Guys help him, forcing her to acknowledge that he has become stronger because he’s on a team instead of going solo.

JM: Which character is the most fun to write and why?

Katherine Nolfi: This is a tough one. Each of the Bad Guys has such a strong personality — from Snake’s curmudgeonly charm to Webs’ dry humor — that they are all a blast to write, but I’m partial to Piranha’s exuberance. He throws himself fully into everything he does, whether that is “one way ticketing” on a heist or making a chore wheel for the lair.

JM: This show explores the values and dynamics of working together as a team. How does that

relate to what you do making a series?

KN: Making any series is such a collaborative undertaking. Getting to work with Bret to pull together the incredibly talented Bad Guys: Breaking In team was a joy. From the writers, to the actors and voice direction, art director Jonathan Pyun’s team of designers, the directors and board artists, CG artists and animators, line producer Shaun Avnet and the production crew, editors, sound team, composers, and so, so many more people — truly the series could not have been pulled off without each member of the team contributing their unique talents.

BH: Much like the Bad Guys, our team members have specific talents that complement each other. We know how to fit our individual strengths into a team effort to get the job done. Snake is the safe cracker, for example, and Webs is the hacker. On our team we have terrific storyboard artists, great designers, and skilled animators, all working together on each episode.

JM: Major global art heists are still making headlines. Do you take inspiration from real crimes for storylines?

KN: Like the Bad Guys, we’ll steal from anywhere! As just one example, when it came time to develop the character of Wolf’s mentor, a cougar, the writers came up with the name D.B. Cougar in a nod to the notorious criminal D.B. Cooper.

JM: What impresses you about this voice ensemble, especially when it comes to their timing of

comedic dialogue?

KN: I was endlessly impressed by how the cast brought the characters to life. Michael Godere, who plays Wolf, manages to make Wolf hilarious but also grounded and relatable (even in the midst of hilariously not-relatable situations). Tarantula aka Webs as played by Mallory Low is just so surprisingly funny. Mallory’s timing never failed to make me gasp with laughter. Ezekiel Ajeigbe not only had to play Shark, but also the many, many personas Shark assumes as the team’s master of disguise. Ezekiel’s ability to create funny and unexpected characters — sometimes multiple times an episode — while always keeping Shark front and center is nothing short of brilliant. Raul Ceballos imbues Piranha with so much heart while also making a comedic meal out of every line. And Chris Diamantopoulos brilliantly balanced Snake’s tough exterior with his secretly (very secretly) sweet interior. On their own, each member of the cast created such indelible characters, but when they were able to play off of each other the timing generated comedy magic.

JM: As was the case with the first film, this summer’s The Bad Guys 2 earned over $230 million worldwide. What is the secret to the continued success of this franchise?

BH: The success of The Bad Guys, to me, comes from three things: the clever concept of merging crack jewel thieves with apex predators from the animal kingdom, the daring exploits and wild action they get into while trying to pull off heists, and finally, the appealing and charming personalities of each crew member. Each one of them, whether a wolf, a snake, a shark, a piranha or even a spider, are really very likable characters.

JM: The gang is excited to be on the TV news criminals list. Are you looking forward to being on the Netflix “Top 10 Most Watched” list?

KN: Now that would be a heist!

BH: I would love for the show to be on a top ten list but for me, the act of making the show was the real reward.