More than live-action blockbusters are being delayed by the pandemic, animated movies are feeling the sting, as well. Perhaps the biggest animated movie of the year, Minions: The Rise of Gru, is the latest to be delayed, although its situation is a little bit different than Peter Rabbit 2, which was only a few weeks away.
The anticipated Minions sequel wasn’t due to arrive until July 3rd, so theoretically there would be plenty of time to sit this one out. But the work stoppages around the globe have meant production can’t move forward, and so Illumination CEO Chris Meledandrihas had to take action…
“In response to the severity of the situation in France, we are temporarily closing our Illumination Mac Guff studio in Paris. With this decision we are abiding by the French Government’s guidelines and doing everything possible to slow the spread of the virus as we care for our artists and their families. This means we will be unable to finish ‘Minions: The Rise Of Gru’ in time for our planned global releases in late June and early July. While we all grapple with the enormity of this crisis, we must put the safety and protection of our employees above all. We look forward to finding a new release date for the return of Gru and the Minions.”
On a possibly positive note? Now that Minions has moved, the July 3rd date is wide open for another movie. Perhaps Marvel slides Black Widow into that spot? Maybe it’ll be when A Quiet Place 2 returns to scare up the summer blockbuster season?
