Minions 3 Release Date Changed By Almost A Full Year

After the previous installment in the franchise pushed it to a major financial milestone, Minions 3 is getting an earlier release date. Having first launched as a prequel to the Despicable Me movies, the spinoff series quickly began building a bridge to the present day storyline with its 2022 sequel, The Rise of Gru. Despite the most recent sequel, Despicable Me 4, pushing the franchise to the $5 billion mark, Minions 3 wouldn’t be confirmed to be in the works until July 2024, being set for a June 2027 release date.

The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that Universal is shifting some of its upcoming release calendar around. One such movie getting a new release date is Minions 3, with the Despicable Me threequel spinoff now set for a July 1, 2026 date, taking over the slot from Shrek 5, which is now set for December 23 that same year. This also puts Minions 3 in theaters nearly a full year early, having originally been set for a June 30, 2027 release date.

What The New Release Date Means For Minions 3

It Continues A Franchise Tradition

While release date changes are not unheard of in the world of films, Minions 3 being pushed up by nearly a full year is a much rarer thing. Given production on animated movies typically takes years to complete, release delays are far more common with the genre than being pushed up on a studio’s calendar. However, considering Illumination Studios Paris is generally the home for the studio’s output, it may also stem from Shrek 5‘s production being delayed amid the Palisades Wildfire shutting down much of Southern California.

Regardless of the studio’s decision to bring the movie up by a full year, Minions 3 hitting theaters in July 2026 actually continues a tradition for the franchise. Across the four mainline movies and two Minions spinoffs, every Despicable Me movie has hit theaters in July, the sole exception being Despicable Me 3, which released on June 30, so still spending much of its theatrical time in July. See how the previous Despicable Me and Minions movies performed in their respective release dates in the chart below:

While the shift up in its release plans certainly points towards the studio’s confidence in the movie’s timeline, Minions 3 will be facing a lot of competition in the Summer 2026 calendar. The two weeks prior to the threequel will see the releases of Pixar’s Toy Story 5, a major foe in getting the family demographic, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, while the following July week will see the debut of the live-action Moana remake, another family friendly competitor.

Our Take On Minions 3’s New Release Date

The Rise Of Gru’s Success Is A Good Indicator Of Its Victory Chances

Though its predecessor didn’t face as much competition as Minions 3 will, if the movie can match the same creative quality as the 2022 spinoff sequel, it could also match The Rise of Gru‘s box office success. Despite going up against Thor: Love and Thunder and fellow animated releases Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank and DC League of Super-Pets, the previous Minions movie set multiple box office records, including the largest Independece Day opening weekend, that I can’t imagine the next installment would be that overshadowed by its competition.

Source: THR

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Despicable Me

Gru, a villain with ambitions to steal the moon, adopts three orphaned girls to aid his scheme. Unexpectedly, he finds himself growing attached to them, which complicates his plans. As Gru grapples with newfound fatherhood and his villainous aspirations, he discovers that love and family can change even the most hardened hearts.

Created by

Sergio Pablos

Upcoming Films

Minions 3

Character(s)

Margo
, Gru
, Minions
, Edith
, Agnes
, Dr. Nefario

Video Game(s)

Despicable Me: Minion Rush
, Despicable Me: The Game
, Minions Paradise

Summary

Gru, a villain with ambitions to steal the moon, adopts three orphaned girls to aid his scheme. Unexpectedly, he finds himself growing attached to them, which complicates his plans. As Gru grapples with newfound fatherhood and his villainous aspirations, he discovers that love and family can change even the most hardened hearts.

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