Bono, Halsey and Pharrell join the cast of 'Sing 2', scheduled for the 2021 holidays

A trio of music industry icons joined the cast Sing 2, with Universal welcoming Bono, Halsey and Pharrell Williams to its talented animated animal world. The sequel will be released in theaters in a year, on December 22, 2021.

The upcoming holiday season, the new chapter in the hit animated series from Illumination returns with big dreams and spectacular hit songs as can-do koala Buster Moon and his stellar cast of animal performers prepare to launch their most dazzling stage show ever… in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There's only one hitch: they must first convince the world's loneliest rock star - played by legendary music icon Bono, who makes her animated feature debut - to join them.

Buster (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey) and his cast have made the New Moon Theater a local hit, but Buster has his sights set on a bigger prize: debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City.

But unattached, Buster and his cast, including Rosita (Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon), rocker porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson), serious gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton), shy elephant Meena (Tori Kelly) and, of course, the extraordinary porcine provocateur Gunter (Nick Kroll) - have to sneak into the world-famous offices of Crystal Entertainment, run by a ruthless wolf tycoon named Jimmy Crystal (Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale).

Desperate to get Mr. Crystal's attention, Gunter spontaneously throws out an outrageous idea which Buster quickly runs with, promising their new show will be played by rock lion legend Clay Calloway (Bono). The problem is that Buster has never met Clay, an artist who walked away from the world more than ten years ago after the loss of his wife and hasn't been seen since.

As Gunter helps Buster come up with an out-of-this-world theatrical masterpiece and the pressure (and sinister threats) of Mr. Crystal's mount, Buster embarks on a quest to find Clay and convince him to return to the stage. What begins as Buster's dream of great success becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.

Sing 2 is written and directed by acclaimed returning director Garth Jennings and also features new characters played by music superstars Pharrell Williams and Halsey, Black PantherLetitia Wright and comedians Eric Andre and Chelsea Peretti.

The film is produced by visionary Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy. Sing 2 combines dozens of classic rock and pop tunes, thrilling performances, breathtaking artistry and Illumination's signature humor and heart in next year's definitive cinematic event.