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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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2015: The Hits, The Flops & The Year In Box Office

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Pixar Dominate 2016 Annie Award Nominations, 'Anomalisa' Gets Best Animated Feature Nod

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How Universal Dominated The 2015 Box Office Without A Single Comic Book Movie

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Box-Office: ‘Ant-Man’ Sizes Up To #1 With $58 Million, Amy Schumer’s ‘Trainwreck’ Shows Solid Comedy Might

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Review: 'Minions' Featuring The Voices Of Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton, Jon Hamm, Geoffrey Rush, And More

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Watch: 'Minions' Travel Through History In New Trailer

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Watch: Sandra Bullock’s Vampy Villain Takes Center Stage In The New Trailer For ‘Minions’

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Watch: First Trailer For The 'Despicable Me' Spin-Off ‘Minions’

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Casting: Neil LaBute Enlists Ethan Hawke, Vera Farmiga For New Thriller; Logan Lerman Joins Brad Pitt For ‘Fury’

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Sandra Bullock Is Villain In 'Despicable Me' Spin-Off 'Minions,' Ralph Fiennes & Clive Owen To Lead 'Sands' & 'Blue Angel'

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