Illumination doesn't just have The Super Mario Galaxy Movie vying for animation box office dollars in 2026; the studio also has another spin-off entry from the Despicable Me Franchise.
The third Minions film, it will see the overall-clad, bright yellow underlings set out for an adventure in 1920s Hollywood as they try to become screenwriters and make a monster movie. But instead of using Hollywood special effects and make-up, the banan-adjacent henchmen set out to find and create real monsters.
A new TV spot was just released for the upcoming pic, which you can check out below.
The voice cast for the film includes Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz and Jeff Bridges, alongside Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch, and Trey Parker. Additional cast members include Bobby Moynihan and Phil LaMarr.
Minions & Monsters is being produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri alongside Bill Ryan, who also served as an executive producer on The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The screenplay comes from Brian Lynch, known for his work on the Minions and The Secret Life of Pets films, while direction is handled by Academy Award nominee Pierre Coffin. Coffin previously co-directed the first three Despicable Me movies and the original Minions film, in addition to voicing the Minions themselves since their debut in 2010.
Hollywood has a monster problem.
Fresh off the worldwide blockbuster success of summer 2024’s funniest comedy, Despicable Me 4, Illumination expands its joyful animated universe with a riotous new chapter, featuring all-new characters, in the biggest global animated franchise in history: Minions & Monsters.
Minions & Monsters introduces us to an entirely new tribe of Minions, who find themselves in Hollywood at the dawn of cinema. Our heroes are two brand-new Minions: James and Henry. We meet them and their rambunctious friends in the distant past and witness their trials and tribulations as they search far and wide for an evil master to serve.
Eventually they reach the 1920's, and wind up crashing a Hollywood film set. Their brief and accidental appearance on camera pays off and before they know it the Minions are bona-fide movie stars. They begin to live the Hollywood lifestyle, and soon they're throwing lavish parties, living in a huge mansion, and inspiring an army of fans to dress in overalls and goggles.
The Minions' 15 minutes of fame are soon up, however. With the addition of sound to film and the rise of the "talkies," they drop in popularity – it turns out they can't follow the script when all they speak is Minionese. Destitute and aimless, the Minions roam the streets of Hollywood looking for a purpose…and a new evil master to serve. Our heroes James and Henry have a different plan and break away from their tribe. They have fallen in love with making movies and want to make an awesome monster movie of their own!