A highly symbolic opening to the festival, as it was in this very same theatre that, back in 2010, the first *Despicable Me* film (as it is now known worldwide) had its world premiere.
It’s the perfect way to bring things full circle, whilst allowing fans of animation and zany creatures to kick off the 2026 Annecy Festival with a bang.
Illumination, the unicorn of French animation
A lot has happened in Annecy since 2010.
Whilst Pierre Coffin once told *Variety* that this first screening would enable him to determine whether or not he really had what it takes to be a director, Coffin is now returning to the festival at the helm of a global franchise that has grossed over $5.6 billion at the box office, accompanied by Chris Meledandri, founder of Illumination.
A veritable Hollywood powerhouse, associated with Universal Studios since its foundation, Illumination has produced not only the films in the Despicable Me franchise, but also the two Super Mario Bros films – themselves global hits – as well as the now-classic The Secret Life of Pets and Sing, each of which has spawned sequels.
A success that has inspired many an ESMA student, whose training in 3D animation and special effects has also been highly praised by the studio, which regularly takes on interns and former students from the school to bring its best-known creations to life, notably: the Minions, now back on the big screen.
Off to Hollywood!
Whilst our favourite trio – Kevin, Stuart and Bob – take more of a back seat here, it is through the characters of James, Henry and Ed and their misadventures that the team at Illumination takes us to Hollywood, the cradle of cinema.
Here, Pierre Coffin treats us to a veritable fireworks display of references, directing solo for the first time whilst continuing to voice the Minions, as he has done since the first films.
But this new instalment holds a special place in the director’s heart. Speaking to Empire magazine a few weeks ago, he said: “With my previous films, I felt I was repeating more or less the same thing [referring to the voices of his Minions], just changing a few elements here and there. But this new film has a special flavour. When I was a child, my parents used to take me to see the Marx Brothers’ films, and those American cinema classics are still with me today.”
A five-star cast
For this new instalment, Pierre Coffin and Chris Meledandri have assembled a star-studded cast: in the original version, Christoph Waltz, Trey Parker, Jeff Bridges, Zoe Deutch, Jesse Eisenberg, Allison Janney and the duo Bobby Moynihan – Phil LaMarr are all on board to bring these various characters – both human and non-human – to life, whilst in the French version, Alexandre Astier and David Marsais (Palmashow) will be joining the cast.
The music – which is crucial to capturing the atmosphere of 1920s Hollywood cinema – is composed by John Powell, a long-standing collaborator of the studios.
Creating whilst having fun
Despite the high standards and the technical and artistic prowess of the Illumination teams on this film, the Minions are always created with a great deal of playfulness. How could it be otherwise with these creatures, whom we love to see getting squashed, tossed about and shaken in every direction, much to the delight of young and old alike.
Incidentally, here’s a technical detail: Illumination’s pipeline is based on an in-house rendering engine, affectionately known as MGLR (Mac Guff Ligne Render), a nod to the company’s former name in the 1990s. Beyond this tool, Illumination’s pipeline now comprises numerous in-house tools, whilst also incorporating software such as Maya and Nuke, as well as a wide range of plug-ins.
Don’t panic: if you join the studio, the team will be able to explain this to you in more detail, without giving away all their secrets.
In the meantime, a full breakdown of this pipeline is available on the Illumination website, which should help you get to grips with their approach and, who knows, perhaps even help you identify the right department to apply to!
You’ve got to start somewhere. And don’t worry if you have doubts – Pierre Coffin does too, as do many other artists, even though they’re extremely talented.
People first
Coffin therefore approached this production with great enthusiasm, though not without some apprehension. “I’m very nervous about the film’s release,” he told Empire.
“For this film, I helped develop the early drafts of the screenplay and co-wrote it; it deals with a period in the history of cinema that I’m really passionate about. I think it’s the film that best reflects who I am out of all the ones we’ve made so far.”
Will it be a success? In any case, Pierre Coffin is keeping a cool head, not hesitating to question himself in the face of the phenomenal success of his creations. “Even though I love the first Minions film, I can easily spot its flaws. It’s the same with Despicable Me 3. And yet, these films make billions of dollars, whereas to me, they’re not worth more than a million. What does it mean if this film makes a billion? Do I just have bad taste? Maybe I should give it a go.”
A fine lesson in humility, and a film which, we are convinced, will be a success.
*Minions and Monsters* will have its world premiere in Annecy this Sunday, 21 June, before being released in France on 24 June. In the United States, audiences will have to wait until 1 July to see the film in cinemas. This French premiere is sure to delight Minions fans of all ages. From the most obscure… to Mbappé.