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The million-year-old mischievous Minions are back in their most-awaited animated sequel. Minions: The Rise of Gru, aka Minions 2, is all set to be an absolutely maddening and funny adventure starring the cute little yellow creatures as they learn to work for their new master, a young Gru. A spin-off sequel to the 2015 movie Minions, Minions: The Rise of Gru is the fifth installment of the Despicable Me franchise.
Minions: The Rise of Gru is directed by Kyle Balda, who also directed Despicable Me 3 and Minions, with Brad Ableson (The Simpsons) and Jonathan del Val (The Secret Life of Pets franchise) serving as co-directors. It is written by Brian Lynch (Puss in Boots, Minions) and Matthew Fogel (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part). Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, and Chris Renaud serve as the producers.
The plot of this prequel is set in the early 1970s, amidst retro art, disco music, and colorful costumes, all signature classics of that era. Gru is a 12-year-old fanboy of The Vicious 6, a super villain group. Along with his newfound team of Minions, led by Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and the newcomer, Otto, Gru devises a scheme to become a recognized villain.
So get ready to join Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto, along with the young Gru, on a colorful and crazy mission. While you wait for the movie's release, check out this guide for all the details of the upcoming adventure comedy, from the release date to the plot, trailer, cast and characters, and everything else that we know so far. “C’est Bananas, no?”
Editor's Note: This piece was update on June 27, to add the latest trailer.
Watch the Minions: The Rise of Gru Trailer
Illumination, the production company of the movie, released the official trailer on February 5, 2020, after releasing a teaser a few days earlier. The action-packed trailer gives a glimpse at the young Gru, living in the suburbs with big dreams. He aspires to be a super villain and goes to see The Vicious 6 – the world-famous super villain group – and to prove his merit, he steals a precious stone from the gang and feels victorious.
Sadly, Gru soon discovers that Otto, the newest member of the Minions, has lost the stone. Furious and hell-bent on restoring his villain status, Gru puts his little yellow scamps on a hunt, only to find that he’s poked the wrong bear. With the franchise’s classic humor, a touch of retro art, and over-the-top action sequences, the trailer promises that Minions: The Rise of Gru will be nothing but a hundred percent fun.
A new trailer was released on March 30, 2022, over two years after the release of the official trailer. The trailer shows us more of the plot of the film, dealing with Gru being kidnapped by the Vicious 6, and Stuart, Kevin, and Bob going on an adventure to save their beloved young leader.
The third and final trailer was released on June 6, 2022, giving us an extended look at a sequence involving the mischievous yellow minions wreaking havoc on an airplane.
When Is Minions: The Rise of Gru’s Release Date?
The release date of Minions 2 went through a lot of delays. The prequel to Despicable Me and sequel to Minions, Minions: The Rise of Gru was announced in 2017. The fifth installment of the franchise was originally scheduled to be released in July 2020 as a summer movie. But due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the production company being closed for that time, the release date was pushed to July 2, 2021. And now, finally, the prequel is scheduled to release on July 1, 2022, in theaters across the United States.
Who Is in Minions: The Rise of Gru’s Cast?
The ensemble voice cast of Minions: The Rise of Gru is what makes the upcoming movie more interesting. Steve Carell will obviously be back as the voice of Gru and Pierre Coffin will return as the voice of Kevin, Stuart, Bob, Otto, and other minions. Besides these leading cast members, the prequel will also have Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, and Alan Arkin in other major voice roles.
Who Are the Confirmed Characters in Minions: The Rise of Gru?
Led by a tween Gru and the whole gang of Minions, the upcoming movie will see a host of new faces. Here are all the major characters that you will see in Minions: The Rise of Gru:
Steve Carell voices a young Gru. In the movie, Gru is a suburban boy in the '70s aspiring to become a super villain who is also the new master of the Minions.
Pierre Coffin voices Kevin, Stuart, Bob, Otto, and all the Minions. The Minions are more than a million years old and have lived on earth through the beginning of time, as is revealed in the earlier movie. They constantly seek an evil master to give them a purpose in life. Gru is their new master, and they will do everything in their capacity to help him become the world’s greatest villain. Or at least they'll try.
Taraji P. Henson voices Belle Bottom. She is the leader of The Vicious 6, a group of super villains.
Alan Arkin voices Wild Knuckles, a renowned super villain and the former leader of The Vicious 6, whom Gru wants to replace.
Michelle Yeoh voices Master Chow, who is an acupuncture specialist with crazy Kung Fu skills.
Jean-Claude Van Damme voices the cheekily named Jean Clawed. Another super villain and member of The Vicious 6, Jean Clawed is a giant, red, clawed monster lobster.
Lucy Lawless voices Nunchuck. She is a nun but also a super villain and a member of The Vicious 6.
Russell Brand voices Dr. Nefario. Nefario is a mad scientist or at least that's what he aspires to be. Dr. Nefario joins Gru as an assistant and stays on in the future, playing a major role in the Despicable Me movies.
Other important characters appearing in the movie include Dolph Lundgren as Svengeance, Danny Trejo as Stronghold, and Julie Andrews as Gru's mother Marlena. RZA will also voice a character, but his role has not been announced yet.
When Is Minions: The Rise of Gru Filming?
The production for Minions: The Rise of Gru began in July 2017 and the movie’s title was revealed in 2019. After the temporary closure of Illumination Mac Guff in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production on the movie was conducted remotely and has now presumably been completed.
What is the Background of Minions: The Rise of Gru?
Minions: The Rise of Gru is the origin story of Gru and a prequel to the Minions movie of 2015, which showed the journey of the Minions from the beginning of time. For hundreds and thousands of years, the lovable gang of yellow creatures has been looking for a villain to lead them. By the end of the movie, they encounter Gru and find their new master in him.
In all the previous installments of the franchise, we have only seen Gru as a grown man, who adopts three kids and marries a woman, leaving his villainous career behind. The fifth installment is all about exploring Gru’s childhood and early years, revealing how he became the super villain we see in the Despicable Me series.
What Is Minions: The Rise of Gru’s Plot?
The story of Minions: The Rise of Gru will pick up from where Minions ended. The year is somewhere in the 1970s, and a 12-year-old Gru, quite contrary to how we have seen him as a grown adult, lives with the ambition of becoming the world’s best and greatest super villain.
He goes to meet The Vicious 6, a famous group of villains, with the idea of becoming a member. To prove himself to this group, Gru steals a precious stone with the help of his Minions. But becoming a villain isn’t as easy as he thought it would be.
Soon, Gru discovers that he has made himself an enemy of the highest evil that he could imagine and goes on the run with his fearless followers, the Minions. To save himself, he ends up seeking help from the most unlikely person, Wild Knuckles, the former leader of The Vicious 6, whom Gru wanted to replace. With his ever-faithful gang of ancient yellow creatures, Gru will set out on a mission to get what he wants, no matter the cost.