Cheburashka 2


Cheburashka 2, also known as Chebi 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 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.
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.
Cheburashka 2 was theatrically released in Russia on January 1, 2026, by Central Partnership. The film has grossed $108 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2026 and the highest-grossing film in Russia of all time.

Plot

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.

Cast

Voice cast

  • Olga Kuzmina as Cheburashka

    Live-action cast

  • Sergei Garmash as Gena, a gardener, and Cheburashka's guardian
  • * Artyom Bystrov as Young Gena
  • Fyodor Dobronravov as Valery "Valera" Zavgorodny, an exotic animal specialist, and Gena's friend
  • * Viktor Dobronravov as Young Valera
  • Elena Yakovleva as Rimma, the factory owner, and Sonya's grandmother
  • as Larion, Rimma's assistant
  • * Sergei Staykin as the Boy Larion
  • Eva Smirnova as Sonya, Rimma's granddaughter
  • Ilya Kondratenko as Grisha, Gena's grandson
  • as Tanya, Gena's daughter and Grisha's mother
  • as Tolya, Grisha's father
  • Sophia Zayka as Galya, a saleswoman
  • Natalya Shchukina as Natalya, director of the arboretum, Gena's boss
  • Zhannat Kerimbaev as a janitor, Gena's friend
  • Olivier Siou as Rimma's French Chef
  • Marina Konyashkina as Lyuba, Gena's wife
  • Aleksandr Lykov as the Hunter, Larion's father
  • * Matvey Lykov as the Young Hunter

    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, 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.

Release

In September 2023, it was announced that Cheburashka 2 would be released theatrically on January 1, 2026, but this was later postponed to December 2025.
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.
On March 25, 2024, the release date was again postponed to January 1, 2026.

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 the first day of its release, Cheburashka 2 grossed 507 million rubles, becoming the highest-grossing opening day in Russian film in history.

Critical response

Cheburashka 2 received more positive critical reviews than the original film, who praised the acting and the script, but complained about the film's humour.