The Minions take a cue from H.P. Lovecraft in the horror-inspired sequel.

Minions & Monsters: What we know about Despicable Me’s Hollywood detour

The Minions take a cue from H.P. Lovecraft in the horror-inspired sequel.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on *The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer*, and many other publications.

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February 9, 2026 4:38 p.m. ET

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'Minions & Monsters'. Credit:

Universal Pictures

- *Minions & Monsters* finds the Minions in search of monsters to cast in a Hollywood movie.

- It's the third *Minions* prequel and the seventh film in the *Despicable Me* franchise.

- The release date is currently set for July 1, 2026.

Gentleminions, assemble!

Since premiering in 2010, *Despicable Me* has ballooned into one of the most reliable modern franchises in Hollywood, spawning six follow-up films, numerous shorts and video games, and even a ride at Universal Studios. It's showing no signs of slowing, either — the last entry, 2024's *Despicable Me 4*, raked in nearly $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

"I think that the world of the characters lends itself to multiple stories because they're human, they're very relatable," said *Despicable Me 4* director Chris Renaud in a chat with **. "I think if you have animals or mystical creatures, it can be a bit more limiting because there's only a certain amount of things you can really dive into. And certain things, whether it's really breaking the format and saying, 'Hey, we're going to be 50 years in the future,' there's definitely still opportunities."

Read on for everything we know about *Minions & Monsters*, from its occult-inspired story to its release date.**

What is Minions & Monsters about?

'Minions & Monsters'.

Universal Pictures

*Minions & Monsters*, the third prequel in the *Despicable Me* franchise, is described as the "rambunctious, ridiculous, and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created."

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The film is directed by Pierre Coffin, who in addition to being the primary voice of the Minions, previously co-directed four entries in the series. Brian Lynch, another franchise veteran, wrote the script.**

Is there a Minions & Monsters trailer?

The first trailer arrived during Super Bowl LX, and the clip delivers exactly what its title promises: Minions and monsters.

The story begins with the Minions infiltrating Hollywood and pitching their own monster movie. The problem? They'll need a truly impressive monster to get it made. They attempt to conjure a Cthulhu-like creature from the underworld, but end up with a cute, green guy who's not quite what they were looking for.

Thankfully, their new friend knows plenty of other fearsome (and photogenic) creatures, leading the Minions on a monster-collecting odyssey filled with octopus-like beasts, eyeball-filled blobs, gaseous bunny rabbits, and even a mummy.

"Hollywood has a monster problem," teases the film's tagline.**

Is there a Minions & Monsters release date?

'Minions & Monsters'.

Universal Pictures

*Minions & Monsters* will waddle into theaters on July 1.

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