Excitement builds for new Minions movie

Published 3:00pm 20 June 2022

Words by Kylie Knight

Minions: The Rise of Gru opens in cinemas across Australia on June 23. The next instalment in the popular franchise features a new cast of characters and tells the story of Gru – a boy dreaming of being the world’s greatest supervillain.

The film is set in the 1970s, when Gru (Steve Carell) is growing up in the suburbs. The fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, he hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them.

Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making backup from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto — a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please — deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons and pull off their first missions.

When the Vicious 6 oust their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), Gru interviews to become their newest member. It doesn’t go well and worsens after Gru outsmarts them and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil.

On the run, Gru turns to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles himself, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.

Teeming with Illumination’s signature subversive humour, pop-culture sophistication, full-hearted emotion, bold music sensibility, and over-the-top action, Minions: The Rise of Gru features a new cast of stars, including Taraji P. Henson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren and Danny Trejo. The film also features Russell Brand, Michelle Yeoh and Julie Andrews as Gru’s mother.