This summer, from the biggest animated franchise in history and global cultural phenomenon, comes the untold story of one 12-year-old’s dream to become the world’s greatest supervillain, in Minions: The Rise of Gru.
In the heart of the 1970s, amid a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, Gru (Oscar® nominee Steve Carell) is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making backup from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto—a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons and pull off their first missions.
When the Vicious 6 oust their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar® winner Alan Arkin), Gru interviews to become their newest member. It doesn’t go well (to say the least), and only gets worse after Gru outsmarts them and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. On the run, Gru will turn to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles himself, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.
Teeming with Illumination’s signature subversive humor, pop-culture sophistication, full-hearted emotion, bold music sensibility, and over-the-top action, Minions: The Rise of Gru features a thrilling new cast of stars, including, as members of the Vicious 6, Taraji P. Henson as cool and confident leader Belle Bottom, Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean Clawed, Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck, Dolph Lundgren as Svengeance and Danny Trejo as Stronghold. The film also features Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, an aspiring mad scientist, Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow, an acupuncturist with mad Kung Fu skills, and Oscar® winner Julie Andrews as Gru’s maddeningly self-absorbed mom.
Steered by the franchise’s original creators, Minions: The Rise of Gru is produced by visionary Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborators Janet Healy and Chris Renaud. The film is directed by returning franchise filmmaker Kyle Balda (Despicable Me 3, Minions), co-directed by Brad Ableson (The Simpsons) and Jonathan del Val (The Secret Life of Pets films), and features the iconic voice of Pierre Coffin as the Minions and a killer ʼ70s soundtrack courtesy of legendary Grammy-winning music producer Jack Antonoff.
Genre: Action-Comedy
Cast: Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Russell Brand, with Julie Andrews and Alan Arkin
Director: Kyle Balda
Co-Directors: Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val
Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, Chris Renaud
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU – In Theaters July 3
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Action legend Jean-Claude Van Damme (The Expendables 2, Universal Soldier series) is back in the explosively entertaining thriller KILL’EM ALL, debuting on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital June 6, 2017, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Directed by famed fight choreographer Peter Malota, who worked with Van Damme on the action classics Double Impact and Universal Soldier, this fast-paced, pulse-pounding movie finds the international superstar caught up in a deadly plot of intrigue and revenge. The original Bloodsport star also faces off on screen for the first time ever against Bloodsport 2-4 star Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick) in a showdown action aficionados won’t want to miss. Costarring María Conchita Alonso (Predator 2, The Running Man), Peter Stormare (John Wick: Chapter 2, 22 Jump Street), Autumn Reeser (TV’s “The Arrangement”) and Kris Van Damme (Welcome to the Jungle, 6 Bullets), KILL’EM ALL is packed with hard-hitting fight scenes fans have come to expect from the name Van Damme.
According to Kristin 