You never know quite what you’re going to get with a Minions movie. Sometimes it’s a classic Gru-and-family adventure, as in the Despicable Me films. Sometimes it’s a ‘70s B-movie depicting the rise of Gru, as in Minions: The Rise Of Gru. Or in the original Minions spin-off, it was a jaunt through history as the little guys worked to find their ultimate overlord. Now, prepare for something completely different: Minions & Monsters isn’t just a new Minions movie; it’s a Minions monster movie, specifically about the Minions trying to make a monster movie in 1920s Hollywood. Think Babylon, meets James Whale’s Frankenstein, with Minions.
Having the nonsense-babbling creatures front and centre – while pairing them with other supernatural creatures – means that Minions & Monsters will feature an entire 15-minute section spoken only in ‘Minionese’, the quasi-language voiced by creator Pierre Coffin – who also directs here, for the first time since 2017’s Despicable Me 3. It helps that the Minions have always been indebted to early cinema. “All the Minions stuff is heavily inspired by silent-movie stars,” Coffin tells Empire. “There’s this magic element to it.”
Placing them in the early days of Hollywood – and alongside other fantastic beasts – should result in the kind of anarchy that the Minions have always embodied. “I want to hope that the reason why the Minions are successful is that in this era of highly political correctness, they’re on the edge of being insolent,” Coffin explains. In a way, the Minions unite us all. “The whole point of it is that you don’t understand them when they speak — but you understand them nonetheless,” he says. Global domination: achieved.
Read Empire’s full Pierre Coffin interview – talking the legacy of the Minions, and what’s to come in Minions & Monsters – in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day issue, on sale Thursday June 4. Pre-order a copy online here. Minions & Monsters comes to UK cinemas from July 1.
