Minions & Monsters

Minions & Monsters is a 2026 American animated comedy film directed by Pierre Coffin, who co-wrote the screenplay with Brian Lynch. Produced by Illumination, it is the third installment in the Minions prequel series and the seventh overall installment in the Despicable Me franchise. The film stars Coffin as the Minions, alongside Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr. Taking place before the events of Minions (2015), the film follows a group of Minions as they aim to make a monster movie of their own in Old Hollywood. The film was announced in July 2024, after the release of Despicable Me 4, with Coffin and Lynch returning to direct and write, respectively, and Chris Meledandri producing alongside Bill Ryan. John Powell composed the score, marking his third collaboration with Illumination following The Lorax (2012) and Migration (2023) and the first Despicable Me installment not to be scored by Heitor Pereira. Minions & Monsters premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 21, 2026, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 1 by Universal Pictures. The film received critical acclaim, with many deeming it to be the best in the franchise since the first film. The film has grossed $422.9 million worldwide, becoming the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2026.