Before the year’s end, Illumination Entertainment and Universal will be partnering for Sing, a star-studded animation that revolves around a sprightly koala bear (Matthew McConaughey) eager to restore his once-proud theater to its former glory.
For the studios that struck gold with the Despicable Me franchise – and later through 2015’s Minions spinoff – Sing heralds a welcome breath of fresh air from Illumination and Universal, but given its flagship has pulled in an eye-watering $2.5 billion across three movies, it was only a matter of time before all involved circled back to those cutesy yellow-skinned servants.
And so, we arrive at Despicable Me 3, the animated sequel headed up by directors Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda – Eric Guillon is also attached to co-direct. For the 2017 sequel, Steve Carell will not only be voicing the part of Gru, but also Dru, his long-lost twin brother who is described as his doppelgänger, with hair. Gru will need all the help he can muster, too, if he’s to go up against Balthazar Bratt (South Park‘s Trey Parker), a failed star “driven to supervillainy as a result of the abrupt cancellation of his TV series when he hit puberty.”
Beyond that, plot details remain few and far between – let’s face it, the Despicable Me series is more about colorful characters and whimsical laughter than engrossing storytelling – but Gru’s better half Lucy and their adorable daughters (Margo, Edith and Agnes) are all expected to return.
Universal will unleash Despicable Me 3 on June 30, 2017. Sing, on the other hand, will light up theaters on Wednesday, December 21.
