Let’s start with what’s most important about “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” which is that my children loved it. One is going on nine years old, so she’s mostly come out on the other side of her affection for these characters, but she had a good time; her five-year-old sister, in the midst of full-on Minion Fever (she brought a stuffed Bob along with her to the screening), proclaimed it the best one yet, though she may have been suffering from recency bias.

Continue reading ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ Review: Paper-Thin & Only Sporadically Funny But Still A Mild Improvement at The Playlist.

It feels as if we’ve been talking about “Minions: The Rise of Gru” for years. Actually, that’s because we literally have been. You see, the animated film was originally set to be released way back in July 2020. Then, due to COVID, the film was pushed to July 2021 and eventually now, to July 3, 2022. And with each new release date, we get new trailers.

LISTEN: Summer Movie Preview 2022: ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ ‘Thor: Love & Thunder,’ ‘Nope’ & More [The Playlist Podcast]

And in the latest, greatest trailer, we’re once again introduced to the upcoming ‘Minions’ prequel that takes place years before the “Despicable Me” franchise.

Continue reading ‘Minions: The Rise Of Gru’ Trailer: Long-Awaited Animated Film Finally Hits Theaters 2 Years After Its Original Date at The Playlist.

OK, let’s get this straight if you’re confused, and boy, I was. The “Minions” series is a spin-off prequel from the “Despicable Me” franchise, the computer-animated comedy film series produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” is essentially “Minions” two, and it’s a sequel prequel spin-off about Steve Carell’s villain character in the ‘Despicable Me” franchise, but centering on the character when he was just a boy and hopeful, budding bad guy.

Continue reading ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ Trailer: A Despicable Kid Thinks He Can Be A Super Villain This July at The Playlist.

There’s good news and bad news today in regards to folks hoping for a Summer Movie Season full of blockbusters and packed theaters. The bad news is Universal has gone ahead and delayed the release of the highly-anticipated “Fast & Furious” sequel, “F9.” The good news for fans of the franchise is the film is only getting pushed by a matter of weeks.

READ MORE: Cinemark CEO “Optimistic” Theaters Will Begin To “Light Up” This Summer With The Help Of Blockbusters

According to Deadline, Universal has moved “F9” from its original May 28 release date to June 25.

Continue reading Universal Pushes ‘F9’ Back A Month & Delays ‘Minions 2’ Into 2022 at The Playlist.

Parents hoping that maybe Universal would go the straight-to-VOD route for the upcoming “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” as the studio is poised to do for “Trolls World Tour,” are out of luck. The film, which was recently pulled from the theatrical release calendar amid the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, is not only not going to hit theaters this summer, as anticipated, but is actually getting rescheduled for 2021.

Continue reading ‘Minions 2’ Delayed A Full Year As Universal Rearranges Its 2021 Schedule at The Playlist.

Up to now, we’ve been seeing how films that were already pretty much finished and ready to be released have been delayed due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. But what we see with the just-announced delay of Universal’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru” is a bit different. The animated film isn’t supposed to arrive until July, but it’s not being pulled because of the current theatrical situation.

READ MORE: Only 20% Of US Theaters Remain Open As Box Office Could Lose Up To $2 Billion Due To Closures

According to Illumination (the studio behind the ‘Minions’ and ‘Despicable Me’ franchises) founder and CEO Chris Meledandri (via Deadline), ‘The Rise of Gru’ is being delayed because of the work stoppage that has affected so many people around the world due to the pandemic.

Continue reading ‘Minions: The Rise Of Gru’ Delayed Due To Production Suspension Caused By COVID-19 Regulations at The Playlist.

Love them or hate them, the Minions are cultural icons at this point. After three “Despicable Me” films and a solo “Minions” feature, the little yellow creatures are not going anywhere any time soon. And since every film to feature them has been a hit, there’s little question why Universal is going back to the well one more time for “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”

READ MORE: 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2020

Thanks to the Super Bowl, fans of the adorable (annoying) characters got their first taste of the sequel to 2015’s “Minions,” as we finally get to see just how they came to work for Gru, voiced by Steve Carell.

Continue reading ‘Minions: The Rise Of Gru’ Super Bowl Teaser: Universal’s Animated Cash Cow Is Back at The Playlist.