Minions & Monsters

Minions & Monsters — Release Date: 1 July 2026. Directed by Pierre Coffin and co-directed by Patrick Delage from a screenplay by Brian Lynch and Coffin, the film features the voices of Coffin, Trey Parker, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch, Allison Janney, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr. Produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures, the film is the third installment in the Minions prequel series and the seventh entry in the broader Despicable Me franchise.

Set approximately forty years before the events of Minions (2015), the story transports the yellow creatures to the world of 1920s Hollywood. Inspired by the golden age of monster cinema, the Minions embark on a mission to discover and recruit real monsters for a movie production of their own. Their search leads them through a variety of eccentric encounters as they attempt to create the ultimate monster film while navigating the chaos and misunderstandings that typically accompany their adventures.

Pierre Coffin once again voices the Minions, continuing a role that has defined the franchise since its inception. The ensemble cast includes Trey Parker as Goomi, alongside Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch, Allison Janney, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr. Academy Award winners Christoph Waltz and Jeff Bridges also join the franchise, with Waltz voicing Max and Bridges portraying the head of a major film studio. The film expands the mythology of the Minions while embracing the classic Hollywood setting that serves as its backdrop.

As the longtime creative force behind the Minions characters, Pierre Coffin returns to direct a feature that combines slapstick comedy, visual gags, and affectionate references to early horror and monster movies. Screenwriter Brian Lynch, who previously contributed to multiple entries in the franchise, reunites with Coffin to continue the series’ blend of family-friendly humor and pop-culture parody. The production also marks a notable musical transition, with John Powell composing the score, becoming the first composer other than Heitor Pereira to score a theatrical Despicable Me film.

Premiering at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Minions & Monsters continues Illumination’s most successful animated franchise while exploring a new era of the Minions’ long and unusual history. The film is scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on 1 July 2026.