‘Minions & Monsters’ Peacock date set after huge $524M run
Missed the Minions in theaters this summer? You have another option soon. Already available on digital and disc, “Minions & Monsters” starts streaming on Peacock Oct. 28, just under four months after it hit theaters July 1, as first reported by Deadline.
The film pulled in $524 million worldwide during its theatrical run, making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2026. Not bad for a film made on a reported $85 million budget. That kind of number is exactly why Illumination and Universal keep bringing the little yellow guys back.
What “Minions & Monsters” is about
This is the seventh installment in the “Despicable Me” franchise overall and the third Minions prequel. The story ditches the modern setting for 1927 Hollywood, where Minions including James, Henry and Ed conquer the silent-film business, become actual movie stars and accidentally unleash monsters while trying to make a monster movie of their own.
The opening credits reportedly play with Universal’s own history, tracing the studio logo back to the silent-era Trans-Atlantic Film Company. That kind of studio in-joke fits right in with a franchise that has never taken itself too seriously.
Coffin behind the camera and the mic again
Pierre Coffin directed the film with co-director Patrick Delage, returning to the director’s chair he held for the franchise’s first four films. Coffin, an Oscar nominee, co-directed the first three “Despicable Me” films along with the original “Minions” movie, and he has voiced the Minions themselves in every entry. That dual role, director and voice actor, is part of what has kept the franchise’s tone consistent for 16 years.
Brian Lynch wrote the screenplay with Coffin. Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination, produced the film with Bill Ryan.
The voice cast features Christoph Waltz as director Max, Jeff Bridges as studio bosses Frank and Elwood Bright, Jesse Eisenberg as the alien robot Dort, Zoey Deutch as Debbie, Allison Janney as tour guide Olivia and Trey Parker as the monster Goomi. Phil LaMarr and Bobby Moynihan also voice monsters.
The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France on June 21 before opening in U.S. theaters.
Why the franchise keeps printing money
The Minions debuted in 2010, and the numbers explain why Universal keeps greenlighting more. The “Despicable Me” franchise, including the Minions films, has now earned more than $6 billion at the global box office. The last prequel, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” came out in 2022 and brought in nearly $1 billion worldwide on its own.
“Minions & Monsters” doesn’t quite reach those “Rise of Gru” numbers, but it still cements the franchise as one of animation’s most reliable earners.
The “Minions & Monsters” Peacock timing
Moving a $524 million hit to a streaming service within four months of its theatrical debut has become a familiar playbook for studios squeezing extra value out of a box office success. The film arrived on digital platforms Aug. 11 and on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD Sept. 8, according to /Film.
Peacock, like Universal and Illumination, is owned by NBCUniversal, so the move keeps the film in the family. For the streamer, landing a film with this kind of family-friendly track record in late October gives the platform a proven crowd-pleaser right as fall streaming slates fill out.
Universal hasn’t said why it chose Oct. 28, but the timing puts the film in front of subscribers well ahead of the holiday season, when family viewing tends to spike.
What’s less clear is whether “Minions & Monsters” can keep performing once it’s competing with everything else on a crowded streaming service rather than sitting alone in a multiplex. Given how the franchise has behaved for a decade and a half, betting against the Minions has rarely paid off.
Source: Deadline