Suppose you’re like me and are both terrified and fascinated by the rise of AI. In that case, you might get a chuckle out of Universal and Illumination’s surprisingly cleaver Big Game spot for Despicable Me 4. Set to play before the National Anthem, the spot, which the great Jon Hamm narrates, tries to explain the secret behind AI, which, naturally, is revealed to be small, yellow and annoying – being the Minions (who else?). While I tapped out of the Despicable Me franchise a while ago, I must admit that this commercial was surprisingly clever (and timely), so who knows, maybe Despicable Me 4 will be a lot better than we think it will be. The full trailer for this one dropped a few weeks ago (watch it here), and the movie is set for a July 3rd release. Universal has called it the “first Despicable Me movie in seven years,” which is only half true, as Steve Carrell reprised his role in Minions: The Rise of Gru two years ago. Here’s the synopsis from Universal:
Gru, the world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, returns for an exciting, bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illumination’s Despicable Me 4. Following the 2022 summer blockbuster phenomenon of Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, which earned almost $1 billion worldwide, the biggest global animated franchise in history now begins a new chapter as Gru (Oscar® nominee Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Oscar® nominee Kristen Wiig) and their girls —Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Emmy winner Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.
Will you be checking out Despicable Me 4 this July? Let us know in the comments.