Minions & Monsters

Minions & Monsters opens July 1, 2026, arriving at the perfect midpoint of the summer season from Illumination and Universal Pictures. The third Minions prequel and seventh film in the Despicable Me franchise, it takes the yellow creatures back approximately 40 years to Hollywood's monster movie golden age. The voice cast brings dramatic talent: Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, and Zoey Deutch join Pierre Coffin voicing the Minions. The premise offers a visually rich 1930s setting and chaotic slapstick suited to the Minions. The franchise has accumulated over $5.6 billion globally across six films, making it one of the most consistent animated box office performers. The film was moved up from a 2027 release to replace Shrek 5's date. With a marketing budget of $150 million, this entry is cheaper than the typical animated blockbuster's $200 million spend, yet tracking suggests it outperforms #6 in family audience pre-sales.