Universal and Illumination have set on a title for the sequel to their hit 2015 animated film Minions, itself a spinoff of the Despicable Me franchise. The latest film, now titled Minions: The Rise of Gru, had already set a July 3, 2020, release date.
The title suggests the plot could be an origin story of sorts involving Gru, the Steve Carell-voiced supervillian who has anchored the franchise since the start in 2010. Gru appeared as a young boy who eventually plays a big part in the machinations of Minions, which served as an origin story for the little yellow henchmen. No plot or casting details for the sequel have been confirmed yet.
The first Minions was released July 10, 2015, and grossed $1.16 billion, becoming first pic in the franchise to top that milestone (2017’s Despicable Me 3 also got there). Deadline’s 2015 Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament pegged Minions‘ profit at $502 million.
The entire Despicable Me franchise including Minions is the highest-grossing animated film franchise ever at more than $3.7 billion globally.
Several tentpoles have staked their claims around the July 4 holiday frame in 2020, with Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick and Warner Bros’ In the Heights due out the week before. After Minions bows alongside Disney-Fox’s Ryan Reynolds-starrer Free Guy on July 3, new Ghostbusters and Purge movies come out July 10.
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.