Steve Carell Returns in Official Trailer for Minions: The Rise of Gru

Though the story of Despicable Me may be over, it looks like Illumination is going backward in time with the Minions franchise. Just in, they've dropped the full trailer for Minions: The Rise of Gru.

Here's the official story description:

In the heart of the 1970s, amid a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, Gru (Oscar® nominee Steve Carell) is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making backup from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto—a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons and pull off their first missions.

When the Vicious 6 oust their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles (Oscar® winner Alan Arkin), Gru interviews to become their newest member. It doesn't go well (to say the least) and only gets worse after Gru outsmarts them and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. On the run, Gru will turn to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles himself, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.

Besides Carell coming back to voice Gru, the film also has the voices of Taraji P. Henson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, and Danny Trejo playing the Vicious 6. Russell Brand is also coming back to voice Dr. Nefario, and Julie Andrews will be providing the voice of Gru's mother.

While Minions attempted to tell the story without the main characters, it felt like they can't really carry on without someone to "follow"—enter young Gru and his aspirations for villainy. Hopefully, this movie turns out better, because I can't help but feel sorry for all the parents who have to sit through this film with their kids.

Catch Minions: The Rise of Gru when it hits theaters July 3.

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