Who would’ve thought PAW Patrol would end up with Snoop Dogg and Bill Nye in the same movie? The beloved children’s franchise is taking an unexpected — and frankly fascinating — turn with its upcoming “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie,” assembling what might be the most eclectic voice cast ever seen in a kids’ animated feature.
Let that sink in for a moment. Snoop Dogg, the science guy himself Bill Nye, and Paris Hilton are all lending their voices to a movie about rescue pups meeting dinosaurs. It’s either brilliantly mad or madly brilliant.
The franchise has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a preschool TV show back in 2013. Now, after raking in over $350 million from its previous theatrical releases, the series is swapping out Adventure Bay for something considerably more ambitious — a mysterious island teeming with prehistoric creatures. (Because why not add dinosaurs to the mix? Kids love ’em, and honestly, so do most adults.)
Jennifer Dodge, President of Spin Master Entertainment, seems pretty chuffed about the whole thing. She’s calling it a “dino-sized” franchise now, which feels about right given the star power they’ve managed to wrangle. Between Snoop’s laid-back charm, Jameela Jamil’s razor-sharp wit, Terry Crews’ boundless energy, and Paris Hilton being, well, Paris Hilton… this isn’t your typical kiddie fare anymore.
The plot’s got some teeth to it, too — pun absolutely intended. Our favorite rescue pups crash-land on this uncharted tropical paradise and meet Rex, a castaway pup who’s apparently been chillin’ with dinosaurs. Then there’s Humdinger (because of course he’s back) starting trouble by mining the island’s resources. Naturally, this triggers a dormant volcano, because if you’re going to go big, you might as well go extinction-level big.
Fresh faces abound in the core cast, with Carter Young taking on Marshall, Hayden Chemberlen as the mysterious Rex, and Henry Bolan stepping into Ryder’s shoes. The franchise veterans haven’t all jumped ship though — Ron Pardo’s still around, thank goodness.
What’s particularly clever about this casting mashup is how it seems designed to work on multiple levels. Bill Nye’s going to hit that sweet spot of nostalgia for millennial parents (who probably secretly still remember the theme song to his show). Meanwhile, Snoop’s been quietly building quite the voice acting portfolio — between this, “The Garfield Movie,” and “Turbo,” he’s practically becoming the Morgan Freeman of animation.
The numbers don’t lie either. The first movie pulled in $144.3 million worldwide and nabbed an impressive 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. The sequel? Even better at $205 million globally. With the third installment dropping July 31, 2026 (right in the sweet spot of summer blockbuster season), expectations are understandably high.
Cal Brunker’s back in the director’s chair, co-writing with Bob Barlen, which suggests they’re keeping the creative team that’s been working. Smart move — when you’ve got a formula that works, you don’t mess with it. You just add dinosaurs. And Snoop Dogg.
The real trick here will be maintaining that delicate balance between pleasing the preschool crowd and entertaining their parents who’ve probably seen every episode fifty times by now. But with this cast? They might just pull it off. After all, if anyone can make PAW Patrol cool for adults while keeping kids entertained, it’s probably going to be the combination of Snoop Dogg and dinosaurs.
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