By now you will have the seen the teasers for the upcoming Minions film, a spinoff from the Despicable Me franchise that features those little yellow guys who speak in gibberish, like taking off their overalls, and cause no end of trouble. But you might not be fully aware that Minions also has a few celebrity voices to provide some plotting for a film that’s really just an excuse for weird shenanigans.
Minions is actually an origin story of the little fellows who have caused the downfall of every major villain in history, from the Tyrannosaurus Rex to Genghis Khan. Going underground to hide their shame, three Minions (Kevin, Stuart and Bob) emerge in the 1960s in search of a new villain to assist. They light on Scarlet Overkill, voiced by none other than Sandra Bullock, as their next boss.
[zerg]Here’s what Minions producer Chris Meledandri had to say about Scarlet (via /Film):
Scarlet Overkill has fantastic hair, wears great clothes and has a lethal uppercut. When we turn her loose on the world, she is going to come out standing on top. … Scarlet has all the gadgetry and accouterments of villainy. This is a side to Sandra Bullock we haven’t seen before. She is really enjoying playing with this villainy. But underneath there’s a character you cannot help but fall in love with.
Director Pierre Coffin has further described Scarlet as “an unusual supervillain. She is a dangerously charming woman, which could not have been easy in the late 1960s.” I guess Mr. Coffin has not seen many James Bond films.
Scarlet is not the only one with a celebrity voice, though. Her husband Herb Overkill is played by Jon Hamm, so there will be plenty of understandable dialogue mixed in with all the gibbering.
Let’s not leave the gibbering out, though. Much of the fun of the original Despicable Me films were the Minions themselves: weird, likable, and even relatable in their own bizarre way. As long as Minions fulfills its promise – and, let’s face it, that Super Bowl spot was pretty damn funny – we are certainly in for a fun ride.
Minions will open on July 10, 2015.
