George Lucas Cast in Minions & Monsters After Revealing Massive Fandom

Star Wars creator George Lucas has been formed successful Minions & Monsters, and he's already talked to Illumination astir appearing successful much Minions movies.

The animated movie company's CEO, Chris Meledandri, confirmed the sci-fi moviemaking fable lent his dependable to its latest Despicable Me spin-off during an interrogation with Collider. It's an unexpected relation for Lucas that volition spot him leaving his people connected Minions & Monsters erstwhile it premieres successful a fewer weeks.

"An thought for a quality came up retired of the story, and truthful I said to Pierre [Coffin], who co-wrote the movie with Brian Lynch, and Bill Ryan, who produces with maine connected the film, and I conscionable said, 'Well, what if we could get George?' And they're like, 'Are you kidding me?' I had nary idea, but I got specified a accelerated yes," Meledandri said. "It was incredible. So, we're thrilled to person him successful the film."

George Lucas. Photo by Mike Coppola/MG25/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue.

Meledandri didn't stock overmuch astir however Lucas volition acceptable into the film. He could amusement up arsenic an archetypal character, or, considering Illumination has said its crippled volition spot the Minions spending immoderate clip successful Hollywood, we besides wouldn't beryllium amazed to spot him play an animated mentation of himself.

Lucas is champion known arsenic the mastermind down Star Wars and has cemented himself arsenic a Hollywood fable acknowledgment to his enactment off-camera, but he's popped successful for the occasional on-screen portion present and there, too. That said, it's been years since he's taken connected an acting role. So, wherefore did helium prime up the telephone erstwhile Illumination called? It's simple: He loves Minions.

"I had this privilege of gathering George astir 2 years ago, and what led to my gathering him is however overmuch helium loves Illumination movies, and specifically Despicable Me, and adjacent much specifically, the Minions," Meledandri explained. "It was specified a thrill to larn that and past to stock it with the team, due to the fact that evidently he's among a precise tiny radical of radical who the full workplace shares a level of respect for that is conscionable disconnected the charts."

Illumination got its commencement with Despicable Me successful 2010 but has gone connected to make galore different animated projects similar its adaptation of The Grinch The Secret Life of Pets franchise, and The Super Mario Bros. movies. The Minions person gone connected to get a spotlight of their ain for 3 movies now, and if immoderate much are ever successful the works, it sounds similar Lucas volition beryllium ready.

"I saw him recently," Meledandri added, "and he's already talking to maine astir the relation helium wants to bash adjacent successful the adjacent Minions movie. So, it's beauteous incredible."

Minions & Monsters premieres July 1, 2026. For more, you tin work astir everything Illumination had to amusement astatine CinemaCon 2026.

Photo by Mike Coppola/MG25/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).