The release of the Minions sequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru, has been delayed another year to 2022. It's been a tough year for the movie industry due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Many major film studios have chosen to either push their 2020 movie releases back to 2021 or 2022, or have a limited theatrical run and head to streaming early. Long-awaited blockbuster titles like Black Widow and No Time to Die have faced numerous release changes, with the studios determined to still give them theater debuts. Theater chains have struggled since the start of the pandemic, and as cases have continued to spread, theaters have re-closed or remained closed. With the gradual COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the industry hopes to be back on its feet this year.

One of the many 2020 films to see multiple release date changes is Universal's Minions: The Rise of Gru, the sequel to the 2015 animated hit Minions. Originally set to open in July 2020, Minions 2 was pushed back to July 2, 2021 as Illumination was forced to close their France studio due to the pandemic and were not able to complete the movie in time. The release delay also caused other Universal movie releases to be pushed back, including Sing 2 and the film adaptation of Wicked. Now, Minions 2 is facing yet another delay.

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Per THR, Universal has delayed the release of Minions: The Rise of Gru another year. Instead of July 2, 2021, the Minions sequel will now release in theaters July 1, 2022. It's said that delaying the film another year allows Universal to "claim a high-profile date" on the year's release calendar. Along with Minions 2, Universal has also announced the delay of Fast & Furious 9, which is being pushed back one month from May 28 to June 25.

Young Gru talking to a Minion in Minions: The Rise of Gru

Minions: The Rise of Gru is the fifth installment overall in the Despicable Me franchise, which began in 2010. The film will tell the origin story of Gru, who Steve Carell returns to voice. The movie will also feature the voices of Alan Arkin, Taraji P. Henson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo and Michelle Yeoh, as well as returning cast members Julie Andrews and Russel Brand. Pierre Coffin will also return to voice Kevin, Stuart, Bob, Otto, and the Minions. Combined, the Despicable Me and Minions films have grossed more than $3.7 billion at the global box office, making it one of the highest-grossing animated film franchises ever.

With many uncertainties as to whether the theater industry will be back to business as usual this year, it's unsurprising that Universal is playing it safe by pushing their films back again. It's clear that Universal expects Minions: The Rise of Gru to be a major box office draw, determined to give it a normal theater release instead of sending it straight to streaming. Hopefully, the latest film in the Minions franchise won't see any more delays before its release next year.

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Source: THR