Despicable Me isn’t one of those animated movies that lent itself to an easy sequel. Other cartoon features like The Incredibles (for example) tease the next chapter in their final scenes. Despicable Me wrapped itself up in a tidy package, and probably could have called it quits.
But movies that make $543 million at the global box office often trigger sequels, and so Universal will have Despicable Me 2 in theaters on July 3, 2013. The film’s first trailer – with a Halloween twist – hits the Internet today, giving us a very early look at the planned comedy. We have it for you below.
Wisely, the Despicable tease emphasizes the funniest part of the original film – the wide-eyed, yellow minions! This could have passed as a Despicable short film attached to another of Universal’s features, the way Pixar now puts Toy Story shorts in front of Disney pics. And the clip really doesn’t give us any idea of what’s going to happen in the sequel. This really just shows us the minions in action, and plays off an alien-abduction joke (perhaps for the Halloween day release).
Here’s what we do know about the sequel: Steve Carell returns as Gru, the diabolical criminal who happens to be a father of three orphaned girls; Al Pacino is joining the fun as a rival villain; Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove and Steve Coogan also lend their voices; and Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin return to co-direct.
There’s still plenty to learn about Despicable Me 2, but also plenty of time for the studio to share. This is a brief tease to let fans know that the characters are coming back. Now be patient until July, and enjoy the following clip:
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