Illumination founder Chris Meledandri has confirmed that Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas will voice a character in the upcoming animated short 'Minions & Monsters,' set for release on July 1, according to Variety.
How the Collaboration Came About
Meledandri revealed that the idea stemmed from a meeting with Lucas about two years ago. 'I had this privilege of meeting George about two years ago, and what led to my meeting him is how much he loves Illumination movies, and specifically 'Despicable Me,' and even more specifically, the Minions,' Meledandri told Variety.
'It was such a thrill to learn that and then to share it with the team, because obviously he's among a very small group of people who the entire studio shares a level of respect for that is just off the charts,' he added.
Lucas's Enthusiasm for the Role
During their initial sitdown, Meledandri pitched the idea of Lucas voicing a character. 'An idea for a character came up out of the story, and so I said to Pierre [Coffin], who co-wrote the movie with Brian Lynch, and Bill Ryan, who produces with me on the film, and I just said, 'Well, what if we could get George?' And they're like, 'Are you kidding me?' I had no idea, but I got such a fast yes,' Meledandri recounted.
He shared that Lucas was enthusiastic about returning to the recording booth for future Minions projects. 'He was very excited about getting in the booth again whenever the next Minions film begins production,' Meledandri said.
About 'Minions & Monsters'
Directed by Pierre Coffin and Patrick Delage, 'Minions & Monsters' follows the titular yellow henchmen as they attempt to film a monster movie in 1920s Hollywood. The voice cast also includes Coffin, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, Jeff Bridges, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Phil LaMarr, and Trey Parker.
The short is expected to be a delightful addition to the Despicable Me franchise, which has grossed over $3.7 billion worldwide. Lucas's cameo adds a unique layer of star power to the production.
