Search form

Joel Crawford Set to Direct ‘Croods 2’

DreamWorks Animation veteran Mark Swift producing sequel due in 2020.

Joel Crawford will direct and Mark Swift will produce ‘The Croods 2,’ due from DreamWorks Animation in 2020.

DreamWorks Animation has tapped Joel Crawford as director of its 2020 release The Croods 2, with studio veteran Mark Swift joining the production as producer.

Crawford most recently was head of story on Trolls and will be making his directorial debut on the feature, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In addition to working as a story artist on DreamWorks features such as the Kung Fu Panda series, Rise of the Guardians and Bee Movie, Crawford is directing the DreamWorks Trolls Holiday special set to air Nov. 24 on NBC.

Swift most recently produced Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. His other DreamWorks credits include Madagascar: Europe’s Most Wanted, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Bee Movie and Shark Tale.

“Joel has done masterful work in his career and has proven himself to be an artist with a keen eye for character and story," said Chris deFaria, president of DreamWorks Animation Film Group. "His wonderful work at the helm of the DreamWorks Trolls Holiday as the director demonstrates his ability to expand his talents, and we think he’s the perfect choice to bring the Croods family back to life for audiences across the globe.

"We have a compelling story with fantastic new characters, and we are thrilled that Mark is going to be at the wheel for this film," he added. "He’s a talented producer and a great collaborator who is extremely well respected across the entire studio.”

The Croods 2 will reunite original cast members Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman and Clark Duke. Leslie Mann will join the cast for the sequel.

The Croods 2 follows up on the original feature released in 2013 and directed by Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. Original plans for a sequel were canceled after NBCUniversal acquired DreamWorks Animation and then revived earlier this year.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Thomas J. McLean's picture

Tom McLean has been writing for years about animation from a secret base in Los Angeles.