A Bug's Life 2 (Johnsonverse)

A Bug's Life 2 is a 2019 American 3D computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the second installment in Pixar's A Bug's Life series and the sequel to A Bug's Life (1998). It was directed by John Lasseter from a screenplay by Lasseter, Tim Johnson, Andrew Stanton, and Stephany Folsom; they also conceived the story as well. Dave Foley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Richard Kind, David Hyde Pierce, Denis Leary, Bonnie Hunt, Michael McShane, Brad Garrett, Edie McClurg, David Ossman, Rodger Bumpass, and John Ratzenberger reprise their character roles from the first film. They are joined by Madeline McGraw, replacing Hayden Panettiere (who voices a different character), and Jerome Ranft, replacing his late brother Joe Ranft, alongside Panettiere, Sonia Manzano, Dan Castellaneta, Michael Caine, Bruce Campbell, Jason Issacs, Rashida Jones, Norman Lloyd, Joan Cusack, and Alex Borstein, who all voice new characters.

The film takes place one year after A Bug's Life, as Flik, Dot, and the circus bugs must go on an adventure beyond the ant colony to rescue Flik and Atta's daughter Dalla, who escaped in the hopes of finding a new home for herself. The film is dedicated to animator Adam Burke, who died on October 8, 2018.

A Bug's Life 2 premiered on June 11, 2019, in Los Angeles, California, and was released in the United States on June 21, 2019, in RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, IMAX and IMAX 3D. It grossed $1.073 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing installment of the franchise, the eighth highest-grossing film of 2019, and the fifth-highest-grossing animated film of all time during its theatrical run. The film was positively reviewed by critics for the story, humor, emotion, score, animation, and performances. It won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature and the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Animated Motion Picture. At the 92nd Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Original Song, and won Best Animated Feature.

Plot
The movie begins one year after the coronation of Queen Atta. During that time, Manny and Gypsy have passed away, and the ant colony attends the Queen’s funeral. Flik, Atta, and Dot reflect on their memories of her.

Cast

 * Dave Foley as Flik
 * Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Queen Atta
 * Madeline McGraw as Dot
 * Jerome Ranft as Heimlich

Development
In 2014, A Bug's Life 2 was announced. Originally, Toy Story 4 was going to be made, but Tim Johnson rejected it on the grounds that it would be "an unnecessary cash-grab". John Lasseter himself was announced as the director, at Tim's behest; Lasseter, who had previously directed Cars 3 (again, at Tim's behest)