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7.9
Illumination Acclaimed

Minions & Monsters

Despicable Me / Minions · Minions Collection

2026 90 min PG
Critic7.9
Adventure Animation Comedy Family
Theaters IMAX FindEdition
Trailer Where to Watch

Overview

Set in 1920s Hollywood before the events of Minions (2015), a new batch of Minions accidentally becomes silent-film sensations, loses everything when talkies arrive, and unleashes real monsters while trying to make the creature feature of their dreams.
Story 7.7
Acting 7.8
Direction 8.0
Cinematography 7.9
Music 8.5
Pacing 7.4
Originality 8.1
Emotional Impact 7.3
Overall 7.9

Editorial Review

By FindEdition Cinema Desk

7.9 /10

Hollywood satire

The film gets real mileage out of silent-era fame, studio-system absurdity, and the panic of the transition to sound.

Better than expected

Critics were notably warmer than on recent franchise entries, with Rotten Tomatoes climbing to around 90 percent in early release.

John Powell upgrade

Powell's gleefully oversized score gives the movie both old-school grandeur and cartoon propulsion.

Pure Minion nonsense

The second half leans harder into franchise chaos, but James, Henry, and Ed provide enough personality to hold it together.

Audience reality check

Despite good notices, the domestic opening lagged behind the franchise's usual holiday fireworks, suggesting some brand fatigue.

Pros

  • Fresh Old Hollywood setting for the franchise
  • One of the best-reviewed Minions entries
  • John Powell's energetic orchestral score
  • Meta love letter to movies and moviegoing
  • James, Henry, and Ed add new character dynamics
  • Works as both spin-off and franchise bridge

Cons

  • Domestic opening underperformed franchise norms
  • Second half leans into chaotic excess
  • Humor remains heavily dependent on Minion antics
  • Some period details are intentionally loose for comedy
Verdict A surprisingly affectionate ode to Hollywood history wrapped inside pure Minions chaos, Minions & Monsters turns slapstick franchise energy into a funny and often charming monster-movie valentine. It may not match the emotional highs of the best family animation, but it is one of Illumination's most inventive franchise entries in years.

AI Review

Illumination's 2026 Minions prequel turns silent-era Hollywood into a monster-movie playground, pairing strong reviews, a John Powell score, and franchise-lore mischief with a softer-than-usual box-office start.

A surprisingly affectionate ode to Hollywood history wrapped inside pure Minions chaos, Minions & Monsters turns slapstick franchise energy into a funny and often charming monster-movie valentine. It may not match the emotional highs of the best family animation, but it is one of Illumination's most inventive franchise entries in years.

Strong theatrical family pick, especially for longtime Minions fans and anyone who enjoys cinema-history gags. A good choice in premium screens, but the film's score and crowd energy are the biggest reasons to catch it in theaters.

Awards

Annecy International Animation Film Festival

Opening Film · shortlisted

Rotten Tomatoes

Certified Fresh critical reception wave · shortlisted

CinemaScore

Audience grade A- · won

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Digital Date
Physical Date
Premiere
Festival
Status
Announcement

Universal and Illumination announced the film in July 2024 after Despicable Me 4, with Pierre Coffin directing and Brian Lynch writing.

Development

Patrick Delage joined as co-director while the concept evolved into an Old Hollywood spin on the Minions mythology.

Casting

In March 2026, Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr were announced.

Music

John Powell came aboard in April 2026 and built a deliberately oversized score inspired by Carl Stalling, Bernard Herrmann, Franz Waxman, and Max Steiner.

Marketing

A Super Bowl promo launched the campaign in February 2026, followed by CinemaCon footage in April.

Premiere

The film opened the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 21, 2026.

Theatrical release

Universal released the film nationwide on July 1, 2026, where it debuted at number one but with a softer-than-expected holiday opening.

Annecy International Animation Film Festival

Opening Film shortlisted

Rotten Tomatoes

Certified Fresh critical reception wave shortlisted

CinemaScore

Audience grade A- won

Production

Announcement

Universal and Illumination announced the film in July 2024 after Despicable Me 4, with Pierre Coffin directing and Brian Lynch writing.

Development

Patrick Delage joined as co-director while the concept evolved into an Old Hollywood spin on the Minions mythology.

Casting

In March 2026, Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr were announced.

Music

John Powell came aboard in April 2026 and built a deliberately oversized score inspired by Carl Stalling, Bernard Herrmann, Franz Waxman, and Max Steiner.

Marketing

A Super Bowl promo launched the campaign in February 2026, followed by CinemaCon footage in April.

Premiere

The film opened the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 21, 2026.

Theatrical release

Universal released the film nationwide on July 1, 2026, where it debuted at number one but with a softer-than-expected holiday opening.

Streaming

Theaters IMAX FindEdition

Cast

Pierre Coffin The Minions / James / Henry / Ed / Dick
Trey Parker Max
Allison Janney Debbie
Christoph Waltz Frank
Jesse Eisenberg Elwood
Jeff Bridges Dort
Zoey Deutch Goomie
Bobby Moynihan Howard
Phil LaMarr Phillips
George Lucas Fictionalized version of himself

Characters

The Minions / James / Henry / Ed / Dick Pierre Coffin
Max Trey Parker
Debbie Allison Janney
Frank Christoph Waltz
Elwood Jesse Eisenberg
Dort Jeff Bridges
Goomie Zoey Deutch
Howard Bobby Moynihan
Phillips Phil LaMarr
Fictionalized version of himself George Lucas

Crew

Pierre Coffin Director
Patrick Delage Co-Director
Brian Lynch Writer
Pierre Coffin Writer
Chris Meledandri Producer
Bill Ryan Producer
John Powell Composer
Gregory Perler Editor
Claire Dodgson Editor
Skywalker Sound Post-Production Sound

Videos

Official Trailer

Soundtrack

  1. Minions & Monsters Main Title — John Powell
  2. James Dreams in Celluloid — John Powell
  3. Silent Movie Superstars — John Powell
  4. The Spellbook Opens — John Powell
  5. Goomie Gets an Idea — John Powell
  6. Eyereen Rising — John Powell
  7. Saving Hollywood — John Powell
  8. Standing Ovation Finale — John Powell

Trivia

  • The film is widely described as the best-reviewed Despicable Me or Minions movie since the original Despicable Me.
  • John Powell became the first composer other than Heitor Pereira to score a Despicable Me franchise feature.
  • Powell said the music was intentionally excessive and indebted to classic cartoon and monster scores from Hollywood's Golden Age.
  • The movie shares its title with a 2021 Minions short film originally broadcast by NBC.
  • George Lucas was recruited for a surprise voice role because producer Chris Meledandri knew he was a fan of the franchise.
  • A Super Bowl LX promo revealed the title publicly on February 8, 2026.
  • The film opened with a franchise-low five-day holiday launch in North America despite topping the domestic box office.
  • Its story doubles as a love letter to silent cinema, monster movies, and the communal experience of theatrical moviegoing.
  • Ed is portrayed as a deaf Minion who communicates via sign language, a rare communication-style expansion for the franchise.
  • The movie premiered at Annecy before wide release, highlighting Universal's confidence in its animation-audience crossover appeal.

Quotes

"Hollywood has a monster problem."

— Tagline

"If nobody will make our movie, we'll make it ourselves."

— James

"Bee-do, bee-do... monster!"

— Minions

"Movies made us stars. Monsters made us heroes."

— Narrator

"The Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, and still found a way to save the planet."

— Promotional synopsis

"Hollywood has a monster problem."

"The Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, and still found a way to save the planet."

"If nobody will make our movie, we'll make it ourselves."

"Bee-do, bee-do... monster!"

"Movies made us stars. Monsters made us heroes."

Goofs

  • The film compresses several eras of Hollywood technology and studio culture into one stylized 1920s setting.
  • Some monster-movie references pull from films released after the exact period where the story seems to begin.
  • The Minions' silent-film fame escalates globally at a speed far faster than real-world distribution systems of the era would allow.
  • Eyereen's scale changes slightly across action beats to suit visual gags and spectacle.

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Collections

Part of Minions Collection

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Universe

Despicable Me / Minions

Explore universe →

Franchise

Despicable Me / Minions

Third Minions feature and seventh Despicable Me movie overall, expanding the pre-Gru timeline while nodding back to the main series in its credits scene.

Browse franchise →

Recommendations & Alternatives

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AI Recommendation Insight

Illumination's 2026 Minions prequel turns silent-era Hollywood into a monster-movie playground, pairing strong reviews, a John Powell score, and franchise-lore mischief with a softer-than-usual box-office start. Similar picks: Highly Rated Adventure, Similar Animation