Steve Carell stars as Gru, the master of evil, whose origin story will be revealed, complete with how he met the hapless yellow jesters; the next installment of the ‘Despicable Me’ animated franchise comes to theaters on July 1.
A solution is coming - to quell those sleepless nights spent counting Minions while pondering the story of how those little yellow jesters teamed up with the world’s greatest supervillain. This summer all will be revealed in Minions: The Rise of Gru, the latest outing in the Despicable Me franchise, coming to theaters July 1.
Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru (Oscar nominee Steve Carell) was just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. It’s not going particularly well. When Gru crosses paths with the Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto - a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please - this unexpected family joins forces. Together, they build their first lair, design their first weapons, and strive to execute their first missions.
When the infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, ousts their leader - legendary martial arts fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar winner Alan Arkin) - Gru, their most devoted fanboy, interviews to become their newest member. The Vicious 6 is not impressed by the diminutive, wannabe villain, but then Gru outsmarts (and enrages) them, and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to master the art of kung fu to help save him; he soon discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.
Check out the trailer:
Minions: The Rise of Gru stars the Vicious 6: Taraji P. Henson as cool and confident leader Belle Bottom, whose chain belt doubles as a lethal disco-ball mace; Jean-Claude Van Damme as the nihilistic Jean Clawed, who’s armed (literally) with a giant robotic claw; Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck, whose traditional nun’s habit hides her deadly nun-chucks; Dolph Lundgren as Swedish roller-skate champion Svengeance, who dispenses his enemies with spin kicks from his spiked skates; and Danny Trejo as Stronghold, whose giant iron hands are both a menace to others and a burden to himself.
The film also stars Russell Brand as Young Dr. Nefario, an aspiring mad scientist, Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow, an acupuncturist with mad kung fu skills, and Oscar winner Julie Andrews as Gru’s maddeningly self-absorbed mom.
The franchise’s original creators have returned; Minions: The Rise of Gru is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, and Chris Renaud. The film is directed by returning franchise filmmaker Kyle Balda (Despicable Me 3, Minions), co-directed by Brad Ableson (The Simpsons) and Jonathan del Val (The Secret Life of Pets films), and features the voice of Pierre Coffin as the Minions and a 70s soundtrack courtesy of Grammy-winning music producer Jack Antonoff.
Source: Illumination
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
