When The Bad Guys (read our review) found its footing in theaters, it managed to swipe a pretty respectable amount, but one thing was for sure, it isn't following a trend that CG animation, especially CG animated films, are headed. Many films are headed down the route of realism. During an interview with INBTWN Animation, the director discussed that we've “seen the same type of rendering” with this push, pointing to DreamWorks propriatary rendering engine that's specifically made for that.
His thought, though, was if he and his creative team could do something different and be more percise with the medium while pointing to 2019's live-action The Lion King as the pinnacle of where the realism could end.
Instead of following that trend of a more realistic style, obviously, Perifel and his team went with a more artisitic approach, which they attribute to Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse opening the door to the idea.
Meanwhile, in a creative standpoint, the film takes inspiration from a slew of different sources ranging from Oceans Eleven to Reservoir Dogs and even has a sprinkling of Pulp Fiction during one particular scene taking place in a diner. Other inspirations behind the film include early works of Hayao Miyazaki like Sherlock Hound, Lupin III, and The Castle of Cagliostro.