Last year, we reported that Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment were developing a Despicable Me spinoff for the lovable minions.  The spinoff, appropriately titled “Minions“, now has a voice for its lead villain.  According to Deadline, Sandra Bullock will provide the voice of “Scarlet Overkill, a stylish bad-ass super-villain who is (what else?), bent on world domination.”  The story shows the minions have been around forever, and unintentionally thwarted and destroyed their masters’ plans through adorable incompetence.  Set in the 1960s, Minions has three of the creatures going to a villain convention to find a new master, and compete to get the job from Overkill, who aspires to be the world’s first female supervillain.  It sounds like a fun role for Bullock, and I’m eager to see what she does with it.

Minions is due out in 3D on December 19, 2014.  The minions will next be seen in  Despicable Me 2, which arrives in 3D on July 3rd.  Bullock will next be seen in Paul Feig‘s R-rated action-comedy The Heat, which opens June 28th.

We learned last month that, in addition to a direct sequel to Despicable Me, Illumination Entertainment is planning a spinoff centered on the minions.  The movie will look to corner the holiday toy market, as Deadline hears that Universal (Illumination’s distribution partner) has scheduled the untitled minions spinoff for December 19, 2014.  Not much is known about the movie, other than its focus on the unintelligible-yet-adorable yellow creatures and their interactions with humans, and it will be 3D.  Despicable Me directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud are returning to helm both Despicable Me 2 (scheduled for July 3, 2013) and the spinoff.  Illumination’s Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy are producing.  Hit the jump to watch the minion-centric teaser for Despicable Me 2.

Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures spawned not one, but hopefully two new franchises with the release of 2010’s animated feature Despicable Me.  A direct sequel, Despicable Me 2, is already set for release in July 2013, but Deadline now reports that the studios have quietly been working on a spinoff featuring those adorable/pesky little Minions.  The spinoff feature is currently without a title, but Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me) will direct with Kyle Balda (The Lorax) acting as co-director.  Brian Lynch (Hop, Puss in Boots) has already written the screenplay.  Hit the jump for more.