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MOVIE FEATURE

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STEVE CARELL MEETS THE WIGGLES It was the crossover we had to have! Steve Carell and Australia’s favourite kiddie entertainers meet in a cute promotional video for Minions: The Rise of Gru that sees the actor attempting to audition for the part of the Yellow Wiggle. Check it out online – kids will love it!

The beloved yellow critters are back in Minions:The Rise of Gru , the origin story of the world’s greatest supervillain. Words Gill Pringle L ove ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s impossible to resist the charm of those loveable yellow lunatics known as the Minions. However, in Minions: The Rise of Gru , our yellow friends take a back seat to their master which makes him purer. “It’s interesting to see the genesis of where he started and what he ultimately turned into, and it was fun to tap into that younger side of him.” But things aren’t going particularly DESPICABLE RISING

Carell has his theories about Gru’s appeal to audiences of all ages. “I think people are fascinated with what makes a villain tick, and I think for children, the perception of evil can be very different from what it turns into as an adult,” he muses. “And in these films, Gru is kind of

in this hitherto untold story of an 11-year old’s dream to become the world’s greatest supervillian. The fifth entry in the Despicable Me franchise, Steve Carell reprises his voice role as Gru, where we meet his younger self in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. A not-so-typical latchkey kid, Gru is a lonely boy, living with his self-absorbed single mum Marlena, voiced by Julie Andrews.

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well for young Gru, until he crosses paths with the Minion tribe, including fan faves Kevin, Stuart, Bob and newcomer Otto – a Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please. Together, this unlikely family

mean, but there’s also something very sweet about him. It’s interesting to play a bad guy who’s really good and to see how audiences react to the character. “Gru wants to be a villain and he calls himself a villain, but a true villain is someone who is ultimately not a good person, and I think at his core, Gru is a very good person. He has these big, bold aspirations of being a supervillain, and when he first goes to interview to be part of the Vicious 6, he’s just trying to be part of something, but he’s out of his depth. “I think that’s something that a lot of people can identify with. He’s an outsider who just wants to be part of the group. And he’s not getting any of that from the Vicious 6, but that doesn’t kill his spirit to succeed.” In the 12 years since Carell first played Gru, Despicable Me, the Minions and Gru have been a part of his son and daughter’s childhoods. “They’ve followed Gru and the Minions throughout this journey,” he says. “I remember back before Despicable Me , I tested a bunch of different voices on my wife and kids to get their feedback, and the one that I landed on that became the voice of Gru was the one that made them laugh the most. So, they were instrumental in the development of Gru. It’s been special to be part of something for us to share as a family.”

build their first lair, design their first weapons – hello cheese ray! – and strive to execute their first missions. However, when infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, oust their leader Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), their most devoted fanboy, Gru, auditions to become their newest member… Delayed from release for two years due to the pandemic,

“In the first Despicable Me , Gru is in his own world and living a very solitary life,” recalls Carell. “He’s built up a lot of walls around himself. Young Gru, on the other hand, hasn’t built up those walls yet. He’s pretty much available to the world and hasn’t been hurt in life yet,

• Minions: The Rise of Gru is out on Sept 14

audiences proved their Minion appetites had not waned, with The Rise of Gru having grossed over US$800 worldwide to date. Bolstered by a massive advertising campaign, a group of Australian high schoolers even spawned a popular TikTok meme – involving groups of young men attending the film dressed in suits like Gru – with the tag #Gentleminions.

14 SEPTEMBER 2022

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