Nicki Minaj Joins Voice Cast Of Animated ‘Angry Birds Movie 2’
When Angry Birds Movie 2 hits theaters on August 16, many stars from the first film in the animated series based on the super-popular video game will be returning to voice the main characters, including Jason Sudeikis (Red), Josh Gad (Chuck), Bill Hader (Leonard), Danny McBride (Bomb), and Peter Dinklage (Mighty Eagle).
In April, Deadline revealed that Awkwafina, Beck Bennett, Rachel Bloom, Sterling K. Brown, Dove Cameron, Eugenio Derbez, Lil Rel Howery, Leslie Jones, Brooklynn Prince, and Zach Woods would be joining the cast, providing the voices for supporting characters.
On Monday, December 24, Variety exclusively announced that rapper Nicki Minaj will also have a role in the movie about wingless birds and their pig enemies. Who she will be voicing, however, is still being kept under wraps.
This will be the 36-year-old’s second time voicing an animated character in a major motion picture. The “Super Bass” singer provided the voice for a woolly mammoth named Steffie in 2012’s Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Besides film voice-over work, the Grammy nominee — born Onika Tanya Maraj — has acted in two silver screen movies. She played Draya in 2016’s Barbershop: The Next Cut, and in 2014’s The Other Woman, she played Lydia, the assistant of Cameron Diaz’s lead character.
Angry Birds Movie 2 is being helmed by Thurop Van Orman, who is making his directorial debut with the film. Sony Pictures Imageworks is handling the animation for the movie, which will be released next summer by Columbia Pictures.
The movie’s release coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Rovio Entertainment video game it was based on. Angry Birds games have been downloaded more than 4 billion times, according to Variety.
The first Angry Birds Movie, which came out in 2016, grossed more than $352 million worldwide, including $107.5 million domestically. So there are high expectations for its sequel.
Meanwhile, Minaj — who released her fourth album, Queen, in August — will launch “The Nicki Wrld Tour” on February 21 in Munich, Germany. The jaunt will hit 22 European cities and feature support from Chicago rapper Juice Wrld. The last date is March 28 in Geneva, Switzerland.
“I’m so excited to bring the full Nicki Minaj experience to my fans in Europe,” said a statement from the hip-hop star, according to Billboard.
“I have been carefully crafting the most exhilarating, unique, memorable piece of art to share with my incredible fans. I’m in love with Juice Wrld’s music and feel so stoked to have him join me. This will be one for the books.”
