Any adults taking a kid to see “The Secret Life of Pets 2” this weekend may have noticed a big change to the lead role. Max, the dog, voiced in the original film by Louis CK, was recast for the sequel and is now voiced by celebrated comedian Patton Oswalt. Thankfully, younger kids are unlikely to notice or care about the change, and that is a good thing too, as the real story behind the switch is a dark and uncomfortable one.

In late 2017, in the wake of revelations about mega-producer Harvey Weinstein and the rise of the #MeToo movement, a New York Times piece brought to light several allegations of sexual misconduct against CK by five women dating back to 2002.

In the aftermath of these revelations, many of CK’s creative and business partnerships swiftly disintegrated. The Orchard pulled his directorial effort, “I Love You, Daddy”, from the calendar and sold the rights to the film back to him; Netflix chose not to pursue a second comedy special with the comedian; FX, the home of CK’s series, “Louie,” severed ties with him; and finally, Illumination, the animation house behind “The Secret Life of Pets” announced that CK would not be returning for the sequel.

By the following April, Oswalt was announced as CK’s replacement for the animated film. While more known for his stand-up career and appearances in films like “Young Adult” and “Blade: Trinity,” Oswalt has a history in animation, voicing the lead role of Remy in Pixar’s “Ratatouille.”

Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment, Oswalt discussed the smooth transition he was able to make in taking over the role. “The character is so well-written and well-conceived on the page,” Oswalt said. “That I could use that to key off of.”

Director of both films Chris Renaud, meanwhile, discussed some initial worry over the switch.

“It’s worrying in the sense that you don’t know how it’s going to turn out,” Renaud said. “But I think once we started listening to Patton’s voice...it was clear that he was going to give us a great performance that was really in keeping with the character we established in the first film.”

“The Secret Life of Pets 2” is now playing theaters nationwide.

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