Minions: Rise of Gru is one of the last movies waiting for release since before the Covid pandemic. Having waited patiently for two years, the long wait for the Despicable Me prequel and follow-up to 2015’s Minions is about to pay off with the movie projected to pull in over $70 million on its domestic release this weekend. With Disney Pixar’s Lightyear having crashed to Earth with a less than stellar performance at the box office, Minions: Rise of Gru could capitalize on that disappointment.
Of course, there are a number of things in its favor that should see the film soar past Lightyear to probably become the highest-grossing animated movie of the year. As the fifth installment of the comedy franchise, Minions: Rise of Gru first and foremost retains its main star in Steve Carell as the voice of the Gru, and has already gained a decent Rotten Tomatoes score of 67%. While this may not seem like a great result, Minions only gained 55% and Despicable Me 3 came in at 59%, and both of those movies did huge business at the box office on their original release. In addition to this, the film has the benefit of opening over the four-day holiday weekend, which will also give it an additional boost.
Minions: Rise of Gru’s synopsis reads:
Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru (Oscar nominee Steve Carell) is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. It's not going particularly well. When Gru crosses paths with the Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto — a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please — this unexpected family joins forces. Together, they build their first lair, design their first weapons, and strive to execute their first missions.
When the infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, oust their leader — legendary martial arts fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar winner Alan Arkin) — Gru, their most devoted fanboy, interviews to become their newest member. The Vicious 6 is not impressed by the diminutive, wannabe villain, but then Gru outsmarts (and enrages) them, and he suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to master the art of kung fu to help save him, and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.
Minions: Rise Of Gru Has an All-Star Bad Guy Cast
As well as Gru and his bothersome and hilarious Minions, Rise of Gru boasts another ensemble cast of voices, including the return of Russell Brand, and Julie Andrews as Gru’s mother. However, it is the list of stars providing their vocals to the film’s Vicious 6 that really adds weight to the cast list. This includes Jean-Claude Van Damme as the comically named Jean Clawed, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Taraji P Henson and Danny Trejo.
Minions: Rise of Gru arrives in cinemas on July 1.