Cheburashka 2
2026 Russian film
Cheburashka 2
Theatrical release poster
EnglishChebi 2
Directed byDmitry Dyachenko
Written by
  • Vitaly Shlyappo
  • Vasily Kutsenko
  • Vyacheslav Zub
  • Anatoly Molchanov
Based onCheburashka
by Eduard Uspensky
Produced by
  • Eduard Iloyan (ru)
  • Denis Zhalinsky (ru)
  • Vitaly Shlyappo (ru)
  • Anton Zlatopolsky (ru)
  • Yuliana Slashcheva
  • Mikhail Tkachenko
  • Sergey Chibisov
  • Irina Vintovkina
  • Vasily Kutsenko
  • Ekaterina Dodonova
Starring
CinematographyIvan Lebedev
Production
companies
Distributed byCentral Partnership
Release date
  • January 1, 2026 (2026-01-01) (Russia)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryRussia
LanguageRussian
Box office₽5 billion[1]

Cheburashka 2, also known as Chebi 2 (Russian: Чебурашка 2) is a 2026 Russian live-action animated children's comedy film directed by Dmitry Dyachenko, and produced by Eduard Iloyan, Denis Zhalinsky, Vitaly Shlyappo, Anton Zlatopolsky, and Yuliana Slashcheva. It also serves as the second installment in the Cheburashka franchise and a sequel to the 2023 film Cheburashka.

The film follows the continuing adventures of the fairytale hero Cheburashka. He remains friends with Gena, but one day, a year after the events depicted in the first film, their peaceful life is disrupted by an unexpected event (the creators don't specify what it is until later). The film's action is intended to be more ambitious.

In the film Cheburashka 2 the main cast of the first part returned to their roles: Olga Kuzmina, Sergei Garmash, Fyodor Dobronravov, Elena Yakovleva, Dmitry Lysenkov, Polina Maksimova, and Sergei Lavygin.[2] Principal photography for the previous part of Cheburashka 2 began in May 2024 on the Central Embankment, the Sochi Arboretum park, and the Sanatorium named after G.K. Ordzhonikidze in Sochi, as well as in the cities of Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk and Yessentuki, Stavropol Krai, and Moscow.[3]

Cheburashka 2 was theatrically released in Russia on January 1, 2026, by Central Partnership.[4]

Premise

Cheburashka lives with Gena, grows up, and they begin to have disagreements. Cheburashka shows independence and misbehaves, while Gena plays the role of a mentor. And suddenly, they learn that someone is planning to demolish their house.[5]

Cast

Voice cast

Live-action cast

  • Sergei Garmash as Gena, a gardener, and Cheburashka's guardian (the prototype is Gena the Crocodile)
  • Fyodor Dobronravov as Valery "Valera" Zavgorodny, an exotic animal specialist, and Gena's friend
  • Elena Yakovleva as Rimma, the factory owner, and Sonya's grandmother (the prototype is Old Lady Shapoklyak)
  • Dmitry Lysenkov as Larion, Rimma's assistant (the prototype is Shapoklyak's pet rat Lariska)
  • Eva Smirnova as Sonya, Rimma's granddaughter
  • Ilya Kondratenko as Grisha, Gena's grandson
  • Polina Maksimova as Tanya, Gena's daughter and Grisha's mother
  • Sergei Lavygin as Tolya, Grisha's father
  • Sophia Zayka as Galya, a saleswoman
  • Natalya Shchukina as Natalya (English: Natalia), director of the arboretum, Gena's boss
  • Zhannat Kerimbaev as a janitor, Gena's friend
  • Olivier Siou as French Chef
  • Marina Konyashkina as Lyuba, Gena's wife

Production

Work on the film's sequel began in 2023, following the resounding success of Cheburashka. Dmitry Dyachenko returned as director, and Sergei Garmash returned to the role of Gena. This is a joint project of the film companies Yellow, Black and White, START Studio, Soyuzmultfilm, and Russia-1, work on the film was carried out with the support of the Cinema Fund.

Filming

The main filming phase lasted from June 3 to November 22, 2024. Filming again took place at the Sochi Arboretum and other scenic locations in the city. Filming began in Moscow in early June 2024. Some scenes were shot in the mountains to create the large-scale landscapes for the adventure portion of the story. As in the first film, a combination of live action, computer graphics (CG), and motion capture technology was used to create the character of Cheburashka. The same team that worked on the original film was responsible for the visual component.[6]

Release

In September 2023, it was announced that Cheburashka 2 would be released theatrically on January 1, 2026,[7] but this was later postponed to December 2025.[8]

Following the release of the short film Cheburashka. Day Off, it was announced that Cheburashka 2 would be released in December 2025.

On March 21, 2024, Sergei Garmash announced that filming for Cheburashka 2 and Cheburashka 3 would begin in early June 2025.[9] On March 25, 2024, the release date was again postponed to January 1, 2026.[10]

Theatrical

Cheburashka 2 premiered on December 24, 2025 at the “Karo 11 October” cinema center in Moscow on New Arbat Avenue, and the wide release in the Russian Federation was planned for January 1, 2026 with the help of Central Partnership.

Reception

On January 1, 2026, the sequel to the highest-grossing Russian film in history collected 507 million rubles on its first day.

Critical response

Cheburashka 2 received more positive reviews from film critics than the original film, who praised the acting and the script but complained about the humor in the film.[11]

References

  1. ^ Box Office, Russian Cinema Fund`s Analytics (RCFA). Accessed January 3, 2026.
  2. ^ "Фильм «Чебурашка 2» (2026): новые приключения ушастого героя" [Cheburashka 2 (2026): New Adventures of the Big-Eared Hero]. Komsomol Truth (in Russian). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  3. ^ Yolkin, Ilya (October 1, 2025). "Вышел трейлер фильма "Чебурашка 2", в нем появляется крокодил Гена" [The trailer for the film Cheburashka 2 has been released, and Gena the Crocodile appears in it.]. Russian Gazette (in Russian). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  4. ^ "Чебурашка 2 / Cheburashka 2, 2026". www.afisha.ru (in Russian).
  5. ^ "Чебурашка 2 / Cheburashka 2, 2026". www.kinoafisha.info (in Russian).
  6. ^ Genberg, Ekaterina (July 31, 2025). "«Чебурашка 2»: что известно о датах выхода фильма в 2026 году" [Cheburashka 2: What's Known About the Film's 2026 Release Dates?]. Cinema Mail (in Russian). Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  7. ^ Goroshilova, Alexandra (September 22, 2023). "Продолжение фильма «Чебурашка» выйдет в 2026 году" [The sequel to the film Cheburashka will be released in 2026.]. The Businessman or Commerce Man (in Russian). Retrieved January 3, 2026.
  8. ^ Alperina, Susanna (December 11, 2023). "Фото: названа новая дата выхода продолжения "Чебурашки"" [Photo: A new release date has been announced for the Cheburashka sequel.]. Russian Gazette (in Russian). Retrieved January 3, 2026.
  9. ^ "Вторую и третью части фильма "Чебурашка" начнут снимать летом - Гармаш" [Filming of the second and third parts of the film "Cheburashka" will begin this summer - Garmash]. Zen (in Russian). March 21, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
  10. ^ ""Чебурашка 2" выйдет позже, чем ожидалось" [Cheburashka 2 will be released later than expected.]. Rewizor.Ru (in Russian). March 25, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
  11. ^ "Рецензии на фильм Чебурашка 2 (2026), отзывы" [Cheburashka 2 (2026) movie reviews]. Kritikanstvo (in Russian). Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  • Cheburashka 2 at IMDb
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