Following reports that Illumination, the studio behind the Despicable Me, Minions, and Super Mario Bros. franchises, were plotting a "higher brow" romcom in the same vein as Pixar's Up, a first look at Not Alone has been revealed.
Starring Timothée Chalamet (Dune) and Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building), the teaser poster hints at an alien-filled cosmic adventure for the movie's leads, Joe and Fran.
The latter, played by Chalamet, is described as an "introverted rocket mechanic who lives a quiet life alone." Gomez's Fran, meanwhile, is a "brilliant astro-botanist who is developing the world’s first-ever plant-fueled rocket."
Dunk, Welly and Shirm will be voiced by Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey), with Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) as Officer Zandro. Not Alone's cast is rounded out by Diane Morgan (Cunk On), Jamie Demetriou (Cruella), Allison Janney (Minions & Monsters), and Lamorne Morris (Spider-Noir).
"When Joe and Fran are brought together to prepare for the inaugural launch of this revolutionary rocket, there are immediate sparks, but neither is particularly adept at romance," reads the movie's synopsis. "Life becomes more complicated when three aliens — tiny, unruly and adorable — take refuge in Joe’s home."
"Dunk, Welly and Shirm are on the interplanetary run from a zealous yet inept officer of the law named Zandro. The aliens determine that Fran’s rocket could provide their means of getting back home to safety."
Not Alone will be co-directed by Illumination's Eric Guillon, the co-director of Despicable Me 3 and the designer of Despicable Me and Minions; Claire Dodgson, editor of The Lorax and Minions; and Jonathan Del Val, co-director of Minions: The Rise of Gru and The Secret Life of Pets 2.
Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri is a producer on Not Alone, and recently teased the project (and plans for some familiar franchises to return) in a recent interview with Collider:
"Well, [The Secret Life of Pets and [Sing] are clearly two movies that not only do I love, but the filmmakers love them. The studio loves them. We have been working on both. They're both, I would say, in active development. It took us a while to come back to Pets, waiting for an idea that we felt really would earn its place rather than simply just making another Pets movie."
"I think we found a way into a Secret Life of Pets story that I certainly love. We're working with Chris Renaud, who not only was the co-director of Despicable Me with Pierre Coffin, but also the original director of Pets. So, we are well underway, working hard on an idea that I'm hoping that we’ll make soon."
Not Alone will be released in theaters on April 16, 2027.