Illumination’s upcoming animated spin-off, Minions & Monsters, will feature a character voiced by prolific filmmaker George Lucas (Star Wars, Indiana Jones), with the 82-year-old lending his voice to the project thanks to a longtime admiration for the studio’s movies.
Speaking during an interview with Collider, Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri revealed that Lucas was a big fan of the studio’s works, like the Despicable Me and Minions franchises, and explained how the studio managed to get him involved in the project.
“I had this privilege of meeting George about two years ago, and what led to my meeting him is how much he loves Illumination movies, and specifically Despicable Me, and even more specifically, the Minions,” Meledandri said. “It was such a thrill to learn that and then to share it with the team, because obviously he’s among a very small group of people who the entire studio shares a level of respect for that is just off the charts.”
Meledandri revealed that the idea had come up for Lucas to play himself in the film, and spoke with the film’s director, Pierre Coffin, co-writer Brian Lynch, and producer Bill Ryan on getting him involved. “An idea for a character came up out of the story, and so I said to Pierre, ‘Well, what if we could get George?’ And they’re like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I had no idea, but I got such a fast yes,” he recalled. “We’re thrilled to have him in the film. I saw him recently, and he’s already talking to me about the role he wants to do next in the next Minions movie. So, it’s pretty incredible.”
Meledandri explained that Lucas ended up recording his lines when he and his wife, Mellody Hobson, were in Paris. Apart from Lucas’ cameo, the film will also feature an animated version of actor and director Orson Welles in the same scene, making it an even more special occasion.
As the third instalment of the Minions prequel series, Minions & Monsters follows the titular group of henchmen as they aim to make a monster movie of their own in Old Hollywood. Their quest leads them to using sorcery to summon monsters, only for chaos to ensue. The film stars Collin as the minions, alongside Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, Phil LaMarr, and South Park co-creator Trey Parker. Minions & Monsters will bring the chaos to theatres on 1 July 2026.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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