Foodfight!: The Next Chapter

Foodfight!: The Next Chapter is a 2025 American live-action/animated science-fiction action-adventure comedy film directed by Josh FoodFiege, produced by Joshua Dexler, George Johnsen, Seth Rogen, and Trey Parker, and written by Dexler, FoodFiege and Parker, from a story by FoodFiege, Rogen and Parker. The film is a sequel/“meta-continuation” to the universally panned Foodfight! (2012) and Foodfight!: It’s About Time (2023), and stars Charlie Sheen, Hilary Duff, Wayne Brady, Larry Miller, Robert Constanzo, and James Arnold Taylor reprising their roles from the original film, alongside Michael Bay, Martin Freeman, Adam Sandler, Margot Robbie, Ryan Reynolds, and Parker in new roles. In the film, the characters from Foodfight!, Dex Dogtective, Sunshine Goodness, Daredevil Dan, and the other Ikes from Marketropolis discover that their world is not real, so they leave their universe and travel to the real, live-action world. When they discover their reputation as the worst animated movies ever made, they go on an adventure across the multiverse to escape the CEO of Lionsgate and Michael Bay, who want to kill them and destroy their universe, with the help of a force of animated rebels from other universes. During the adventure, the Ikes begin to be also chased by a mysterious cosmic entity, the Maker.
After the failure of Foodfight!: It's About Time, Lawrence Kasanoff, the director and co-director of the two films, dissapeared from civilization after an attack during the 43rd Golden Rasberry Awards. A month later, Josh FoodFiege, a YouTuber who leaked It's About Time's original script and was one of the only theater attendants of the film, decided to make a third film in the franchise that would "actually be good". After a very successful pitch meeting took place at Lionsgate, the studio decided to give the film a higher budget, so they made a collaboration with Sony to make the film through their animation division Sony Pictures Animation. Joshua Dexler, the co-writer of the first film, returned to co-produce and co-write the film, alongside George Johnsen (who also worked on the first film), Seth Rogen and Trey Parker. The voice cast from the first film also returned for the threequel, alongside new both live-action and animated voice actors, including Michael Bay, co-worker on It's About Time, who voices himself as one of the film's villains. The film is a meta-representation on the franchise's reputation, and combines live-action with different animation styles, including 3D and 2D, in a multiverse.
Foodfight!: The Next Chapter was theatrically released on June 20, 2025, by Lionsgate. In contrast to the first two films, The Next Chapter received positive reviews from critics and audiences, praising it's meta-commentary, performances, different animated styles, action and humor. The film was a box office success, grossing $341 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in the trilogy and the first one to gross over $1 million. A direct sequel, Foodfight! vs. the Emoji Movie, was released on 2028. 
== Plot ==
On May 7, 2023, Foodfight!: It's About Time is released to universal disdain, becoming an even worse movie than it's predessesor. On March, the film wins every award at the 43rd Golden Rasberry Awards, with Lawrence Kasanoff, creator of the franchise, and Michael Bay, the sequel's co-creator, receiving the awards. After a member of the audience mocks the two, Kasanoff goes berserk, and burns the place down and escapes, promising revenge one day.
In the Foodfight! universe, Dex Dogtective, his wife Sunshine Goodness, and the Ikes in Marketropolis celebrate their victory over Megan in the second film. While talking, Dr. Si Nustrix announces that he has upgraded the time machine used in the fight against Megan to not just travel across time, but also across different universes. Dex decides to test the update, and chooses to go to "W-Prime". When successfully going there, he discovers the real, live-action world, and sees a news report on Kasanoff and the story of Foodfight!'s production, discovering that the Ikes' universe is not real. Dex teleports back to W-Foodfight! (his universe) and informs the truth to the Ikes, so they all decide to travel to W-Prime to meet Kasanoff.
When arriving at W-Prime, the Ikes have trouble surviving to the humans who are bigger than them. They decide to go to Lionsgate Studios, where they decide to talk to the CEO of Lionsgate to see Kasanoff. The Lionsgate CEO, scared, informs them of the incident and how Kasanoff has dissapeared. He then clarifies how everyone in the world hates Foodfight!, before trying to kill the Ikes by smashing them. The Ikes escape, though Dan and various other Ikes are captured by the CEO. The Ikes realize they made a mistake in coming to W-Prime and are saddened by the world's hate on Foodfight!, and decide to return to their universe, though first they need to rescue Dan and the captured Ikes. However, before they can go back to Lionsgate Studios, a mysterious entity, who calls himself "the Maker", appears to them, telling them that their universe will be destroyed. Dex tries to fight him, but he fails and the time machine is electrified by the Maker, sending the Ikes in and making them lost and trapped in a multiversal void. 
The scene was being observed by Bay, who afterward goes to Lionsgate Studios to inform the CEO of his finding. Bay states that he actually hated Foodfight! and was happy that It's About Time failed, and the two decide to team up to find a way to follow the Ikes in and kill them and destroy their universe. They force Nustrix, whom the CEO captured, to make a new time machine for them, so he does what they say. In the multiversal void, the Ikes try to find a way to reactivate the machine, and begin finding success through teamwork. However, the CEO and Bay arrive in the Void and follow them. The Ikes are luckily rescued by a spaceship, with the CEO and Bay still following them into the Multiversal Nexus. 
In the spaceship, the Ikes are introduced to Ronan the Defender, Jennifer the Bee, and a human lawyer named Luis Craven, all being animated in different styles. They explain that they are the Alliance, a resistance of animated people from different universes who combat people who want to destroy universes. The Ikes explain their situation and that they need to escape the CEO and Bay. Back on W-Prime, Dan and the Ikes, still trapped at Lionsgate Studios, try to escape and do so successfully, and Nustrix creates yet another time machine to get back to the rest of the Ikes. The Ikes and the Alliance seek refugee at W-2D, a traditionally-animated universe. The CEO and Bay arrive quickly, and a battle ensues. The Ikes are victorious initially, but the CEO and Bay begin developing powers and physics from this universe, and knock many Ikes unconscious. Dex ultimately defeats them in a fight and are captured by the Alliance. However, Dex gets injured on the arm. Sunshine puts a cast on the arm and tells him to rest on the spaceship. While the Ikes celebrate, the Maker observes them from afar. 
Back on W-Prime, the third machine is finished and Dan and the Ikes begin traveling to see the others, but the machine is malfunctioning and they fall in W-Rainbow, a colorful and creature-habited universe. They hide in a cloud while Nustrix tries to fix the machine. On W-2D, the Alliance and the Ikes talk in the campfire. The Alliance leaders explain their backstories and how everyone in the multiverse loves them, reminding the Ikes on how everyone in the multiverse hates them. The Ikes also attempt to get the powers generated in the universe, but fail. On the ship, as Dex continues resting, he encounters the Maker, who injures Dex further and frees the CEO and Bay, who proceed to destroy the ship. The Ikes and the Alliance fight them back, but fail. The CEO and Bay use their more-progressing powers to kick the Ikes and the Alliance into another universe, W-1920s, a black-and-white cel-animated universe. However, Sunshine is captured by them. The CEO and Bay then decide to travel to W-Foodfight! to finally destroy it.
On W-1920s, Dex is deseperate to rescue Sunshine and demands the Alliance to find a way to return, but they say that there is nothing they can do. Luckily, Dan and the rest of the Ikes arrive, making a way to rescue Sunshine. However, the Alliance refuses to go with them, saying they're afraid of the Maker, the CEO and Bay, and reveal that the multiverse actually hates them, and that they understand the Ikes' sadness towards their hatedoms, and feel that they cannot be heroes anymore. The Ikes go on their own to various wacky animated universes to find Sunshine, but don't find her. They finally realize that maybe the CEO and Bay have her at W-Foodfight!, so they go there. At W-Foodfight!, they find that Marketropolis has already been destroyed, and that the CEO and Bay have Sunshine captured in Dex's club, the Copabanana. While going there, Dex encounters the Maker again. The Maker makes a shocking revelation upon the Ikes: he's actually Kasanoff himself. He explains that he found time travel technology after escaping the Razzie ceremony, and used it to travel to different universes and get powers from them, eventually becoming the omnipotent Maker and still bound to have his revenge. He now wants to destroy the multiverse and make a new one in which Foodfight! was successful. 
Kasanoff takes Sunshine for himself, locks her in the top of a tower, and begins collapsing all universes. Dex leads and motivates the Ikes to fight the more-powerful-than-ever CEO and Bay in a massive battle. They are later joined by the Alliance, who have regained their confidence. However, the CEO and Bay slowly become victorious, but the Ikes then finally find their powers (these being food-based) and gain the upper hand through a bigger-than-ever foodfight, eventually freezing them. Dex then goes to the top of the tower to confront Kasanoff, and they have an intense duel that ends with Kasanoff being temporarily discapacitated. Dex rescues Sunshine, but Kasanoff resurfaces and knocks her unconscious. Kasanoff manipulates Dex, syaing that if he joins him, the multierse will finally accept and love them. Dex refuses, saying that it's more important friendship and loving each other rather than being loved in general. Kasanoff knocks Dex from the tower, but the Ikes save him through a food-based monster, which afterwards combats Kasanoff. Kasanoff is soon finally defeated, and his powers are removed, saving the multiverse. 
The Ikes and the Alliance celebrate their freedom. The Ikes take Kasanoff, the CEO and Bay with them back to W-Prime, where Kasanoff returns to civilization and is sentenced to jail for the Razzies incident and for his attempted multiversal destruction, though he has changed now. The Ikes afterward return to their universe and begin rebuilding it, and make a party to celebrate their pride. In a mid-credits scene, Lady X, who got trapped in 2012 in the end-credit scene of It's About Time, finally escapes through a new time machine made by 2012 Nustrix, but it malfunctions and she is instead sent to W-Prime, and gets eaten by a dog. 
== Cast ==
* Charlie Sheen as Dex Dogtective, a dog and the mascot of a cereal brand and Sunshine's husband.
* Hilary Duff as Sunshine Goodness, a cat and the mascot of a raisin brand and Dex's wife.
* Wayne Brady as Daredevil Dan, a squirrel and mascot of a chocolate brand and Dex's best friend.
* Larry Miller as Vlad Chocol, a vampire and mascot of a chocolate brand.
* Michael Bay as Himself, the co-worker of It's About Time who teams up with the CEO of Lionsgate to kill the Ikes and destroy their universe.
* Robert Constanzo as Maximillus Moose, an Ike moose. 
* James Arnold Taylor as Dr. Si Nustrix, an Ike scientist and the creator of the time machines.
* Martin Freeman as the CEO of Lionsgate, who teams up with Bay to kill the Ikes and destroy their universe. The CEO is never mentioned by name in the film, only referred as “the CEO”. 
* Adam Sandler as Luis Craven, a computer-animated human lawyer and member of the Alliance.
* Margot Robbie as Jennifer the Bee, a 2D animated bee and member of the Alliance.
* Ryan Reynolds as Ronan the Defender, an anime galactic defender and the leader of the Alliance.
* Trey Parker as Lawrence Kasanoff / the Maker, the creator of the Foodfight! franchise who wants to destroy the multiverse after the incident at the Razzie Awards led to his dissapearance. His identity is hidden throughout the film.
Aditionally, Eva Longoria reprises her role of Lady X in a cameo appearance in the mid-credits scene, returning from the first film after not voicing her in It's About Time. 
== Sequel ==
In the film’s premiere, Josh FoodFiege expressed interest in crossovers between the Foodfight! franchise and more animated franchises, using the concept of the multiverse introduced in The Next Chapter. In 2026, in the ending of Lionsgate’s Peppa Pig: World War, Charlie Sheen made an uncredited cameo appearance as Dex, marking the first crossover between Foodfight! and another animated franchise, with the ending leading up to the direct sequel to World War, Peppa Pig: Cartoon Wars, with Sheen reprising his role and the film serving as a big-scale crossover with multiple animated franchises. 
While Cartoon Wars would release in 2029, a fourth Foodfight! film, Foodfight! vs. the Emoji Movie, was released on 2028. The announcement of the fourth film caused confusion for audiences after Dex’s cameo in World War. In an interview, Sheen explained that the events of Foodfight! vs. the Emoji Movie were set before the ending of World War, while stating that the film was partially tied with World War and Cartoon Wars and would “address” Dex’s cameo in the former film. In the mid-credits scene of vs. the Emoji Movie, it showed Dex being recruited by Rhys and Rob, voiced by Vin Diesel and Robert Downey Jr. respectively, reprising their roles from World War, to join the brothers “Cartoon Alliance” to save the multiverse from impending destruction, with the union between the Foodfight! and The Emoji Movie universes being part of the damaging the multiverse is having. 
Category:Animation
Category:Animated films
Category:Animated comedy films
Category:2028 films
Category:Films with pos
Category:Films with live action and animation
Category:Parody films
Category:Michael Bay
Category:Seth rogen
Category:Animated films about animals
Category:Animated films about friendship
Category:Science fiction
Category:Time travel
Category:Time travel films
Category:Films about para
Category:Animated films about revenge
Category:Sequels
Category:Animated action films
Category:Action/Adventure
Category:Science fiction films
Category:Films about parallel universes
Category:Multiverse
Category:Live Action
Category:Live action films
Category:Live action/animated movies
Category:Live Action and Cartoon Films
Category:Films featuring anthropomorphic characters
Category:Films featuring puppetry
Category:Films featuring anthropomorphic mice
Category:Films featuring anthropomorphic animals
Category:Films produced by Seth Rogen
Category:Films produced by Trey Parker
Category:Seth Rogen
Category:Joke Idea
Category:Sequel films
Category:Science fiction adventure films
Category:Animated adventure films
Category:Animated science fiction films
Category:Lionsgate
Category:Lionsgate Films
Category:Sony Pictures Animation
Category:Sony Pictures Animation films
Category:Films about Dogs
Category:Films about animals
Category:Films about cats
Category:Films about kittens
Category:Films with motion capture
Category:Movies
Category:Animated movies
Category:Films about dogs
Category:Films about friendship
Category:Films with anime sound effects
Category:American films
Category:American animated films
Category:American animated comedy films
Category:American animated science fiction films
Category:American science fiction films
Category:American comedy films
Category:American adventure films
Category:American adventure comedy films
Category:American animated adventure films