Illumination studio has presented a new film about minions, the action of which will take viewers to Hollywood of the 1920s. The creators promise a fresh visual style, new characters and an update to the entire franchise.
Illumination Studio, the creators of Despicable Me and Minions, announced work on a new film in the franchise, which will be the most unusual in the history of the series, wrote in xrust. According to Reuters, the film will take viewers to Hollywood in the 1920s — the era of the birth of cinema, silent films, the first studios and legendary directors. For Illumination, this is not just another part of the popular series, but an attempt to update the franchise, give it a new visual language and expand the audience.
According to the creators, the film will be a kind of “time travel” where the minions will find themselves in a world that is just learning to make movies. The plot centers on the story of how the yellow heroes accidentally end up on a film set and become part of the chaotic process of creating the first Hollywood films. The studio promises plenty of references to silent film classics, including Charlie Chaplin comedies, Buster Keaton stunts and early experiments with visual effects.
It is important for the Russian viewer to understand that Hollywood of the 1920s is not just a historical background, but an era that shaped modern cinema. It was then that the first stars, the cult of the director, mass studios and a system of producer control appeared. Illumination uses this context as a source of humor and visual ideas: the minions will encounter primitive cameras, manual editing, chaotic filming, and eccentric directors trying to create a «great movie» without modern technology.
The project is directed by Kyle Balda, one of the key authors of Illumination, who worked on “Minions: Gruvitation” and “Despicable Me 4.” He notes that the new part will be a “reimagining” of the franchise: the studio aims to retain its signature humor, but add more visual inventiveness and plot depth. According to Reuters, the creators were inspired not only by the history of cinema, but also by modern animation trends, where more and more attention is paid to style and atmosphere.
One of the key elements of the film will be a new visual approach. Illumination promises a softer palette, stylized as old films, as well as unique animation solutions that imitate silent film techniques. Minions will interact with sets that look like early studio sound stages, and scenes will include elements of handheld cinematography, from shaky cameras to comical technical errors.
Experts note that this approach could be an important step for a franchise that has existed for more than ten years. Despite huge box office receipts—Minions earned more than $1.1 billion and Minions: Gruvitation nearly $940 million—it's important for the studio to keep audiences interested and come up with new ideas. Moving the action to 1920s Hollywood allows you to update the format without losing recognizable characters.
The plot of the film, according to Reuters, will be built around the minions’ attempt to help a young director create his first “great film.” Of course, their participation leads to chaos: they accidentally break cameras, mix up films, interfere with stunts and create comic situations that eventually become part of the film. New characters will appear in history — silent film actors, eccentric producers, the first stuntmen and even “stars” of the time, stylized as real legends.
The cultural context may be especially interesting for the Russian reader. Hollywood of the 1920s is an era when cinema was just becoming a mass art, and audiences for the first time began to perceive actors as idols. Illumination promises to show this era with humor, but without caricature: the creators strive to convey the atmosphere of a time when cinema was an experiment, and every shooting was an adventure.
Special attention is paid to the musical design. According to Variety, the film will feature music inspired by the jazz and swing music that dominated American culture in the 1920s. This will create a unique soundtrack, different from the usual pop tunes of previous parts of the franchise.
The studio also plans to expand the line of merchandise and collaborations. Minions have long been part of global pop culture, and each new film is accompanied by toys, clothing, accessories and digital products. Converted to rubles, the size of the minion merch market is estimated at tens of billions, which makes the franchise one of the most commercially successful in the world.
The release date of the new film is expected in 2027. According to Reuters, Illumination is preparing a massive marketing campaign, including international tours, teasers, brand collaborations and special events in cinemas. For the Russian market, this means a high chance of the film getting a wide release: Illumination projects traditionally show good box office in Russia thanks to their universal humor and bright visual presentation.
The new film about minions is already being called one of the most promising animated releases in the coming years. The combination of historical context, signature humor and visual updates makes the project an important step for the entire franchise. Illumination aims to not only continue the story of the Minions, but also to show that animation can be both entertaining and stylistically daring.
From the pages of https://www.reuters.com
Xrust New “Minions” will go to 1920s Hollywood: Illumination reboots the cult franchise
