| New York City 2 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Carlos Saldanha |
| Produced by | Owen Laramore Lori Forte |
| Screenplay by | J. David Stern David N. Weiss |
| Story by | Owen Laramore Chris Wedge Carlos Saldanha |
| Starring | Chloë Grace Moretz Tina Fey Jessica Biel Emily VanCamp Scarlett Johansson Keegan-Michael Key Eva Longoria Maya Rudolph |
| Music by | Mark Mothersbaugh |
| Cinematography | Cory Rocco Florimonte |
| Edited by | H. Lee Peterson |
| Production companies |
20th Century Animation Olaramore04 |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Studios |
| Release date | October 10, 2025 |
| Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $90 million |
| Box office | $575 million |
New York City is a 2025 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Olaramore04 and released by 20th Century Studios. Directed by Carlos Saldanha from a screenplay by J. David Stern and David N. Weiss, it is the sequel to the 2022 film New York City and the second installment in the New York City franchise. Chloë Grace Moretz and Tina Fey reprise their roles from first film. The returning cast is joined by Jessica Biel, Emily VanCamp, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Eva Longoria, and Maya Rudolph, who voice the new characters introduced. In the film, Cupcake Koala, now a rookie police officer, and her best friend Kai K. Cottontail set off on a mission to uncover the mystery behind an incident at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
New York City was released theatrically on October 10, 2025 in the United States. The film received positive reviews like its predecessor, and grossed over $575 million worldwide. It won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Plot[]
A year after Disneyville and the Solar Kingdom were united in peace in the third film, Vanellope von Schweetz is starting school. Confidently preparing for this, Vanellope, upon arriving at school makes new friends and successfully makes it through the school day. At the last class, choice time, school is inexplicably set on fire. Everyone manages to escape with Judy's help just before the school is blown to smithereens. Suddenly, Woody alerts the group that Hank's wife Cyrus has fallen ill. She tells Vanellope to find a new queen before dying.
Feeling dismayed about her wrecked school, Vanellope talks with Judy in the Aliens' cave. Remembering Cyrus' request, Vanellope resolves to find a new queen, bringing Judy, Hank, and three Aliens, Kenny, Bog, and Steven. On the way, they encounter a lost lamb named Lane who is looking for her parents. They gradually recruit Lane to the cost and eventually reach the house of the Powell Sisters: Miranda, Amy, and Kristen. They try convincing Miranda to be the new queen, but she refuses, saying she is a painter and tour guide of the Disneyville Museum of Art. Their father, J Jared, is the only one suspicious, thinking they may be capable of destroying art.
Vanellope attempts to show the Powell Sisters her professional talent in art, but is sabotaged by J Jared, inadvertently splatting red paint on the wall. J Jared gives Vanellope a chance to clean up the mess on the condition that she must leave if she makes it worse. Vanellope paints the inside and the outside until the now rainbow-colored house is completely finished. Astonished to see the house all colored, J Jared yells at Vanellope for worsening the mess and attacks her, Judy, Hank, Lane, Kenny, Steven, and Bog. The ruckus results in Miranda's art studio being destroyed. J Jared reneges on the deal and banishes the group. Fed up with J Jared's irrational ways, Miranda leaves with her sisters and declares she wishes J Jared wasn't their father. They find Vanellope, Judy, Hank, Kenny, Bog, Steven, and Lane and accompany them on their quest. J Jared finds them, and a car chase occurs until they lose J Jared and crash, causing Miranda's car to be destroyed.
Bog discovers a mall, where J Jared reveals to the group that he set the school on fire. He battles Vanellope again and chases the group across the mall. He goes inside the museum to tell Miranda's boss Allison Willis about the unintentional confusion Vanellope is up to. Vanellope calls Red Mayhem, and they pursue J Jared and Allison. However, the police intercept them and are about to arrest them, but Woody and more Aliens arrive at the scene. Miranda is scolded for disobedience, but Vanellope comes to the group's defense by revealing J Jared's villainy to the public, and J Jared is arrested instead. Lane reunites with her family and returns to her herd. Vanellope's school and Miranda's art studio are rebuilt, and Vanellope becomes the new queen.
In a post-credits scene, Vanellope quickly passes her science lesson at school, much to the teacher's surprise.
Cast[]
- Chloë Grace Moretz as Cupcake Koala
- Tina Fey as Kai K. Cottontail
- Jessica Biel as Miranda Powell
- Emily VanCamp as Amy Powell
- Scarlett Johansson as Kristen Powell
- Eva Longoria as Allison Willis
- Maya Rudolph as Chief Martha
- Keegan-Michael Key as J Jared
Reception[]
Box office[]
New York City opened in select theaters in the United States on October 10, 2025, and grossed $301 million in its opening weekend. It grossed $250 in North America and $325 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $575 million. Audiences were captivated by the film, which grossed more than its predecessor. Produced on a $90 million budget, the film was a commercial success at the box-office.
Critical response[]
New York City 2 was also critically acclaimed upon release. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 88% approval rating based on 300 reviews. The site's consensus reads, "New York City 2 is a gorgeously animated, perplexing, and heartwarming sequel that proves that is predecessor can also expand its world and delve deep into the characters just like the Toys To Life films can". On Metacritic, the film has a score of 79 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". CinemaScore reported that adult and children moviegoers gave the film an "A+" on an A+ to F scale.