'Minions 2' postponed as makers ‘unable to finish’ film due to coronavirus outbreak

Universal and animation studio Illumination have moved the release of "Minions: The Rise of Gru" to a later date as the film’s post-production has been impacted in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. The film, directed by Kyle Balda, is a sequel to 2015 blockbuster "Minions", which had amassed over USD 1 billion at the global box office.

The movie was set to hit the theatres worldwide on July 3 but has now been postponed to an unspecified date, reported Collider. Illumination has shut its Paris office after the French government ordered a lockdown in the country to combat the disease.

"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," the studio’s founder and CEO Chris Meledandri said in a statement. "Minions: The Rise of Gru" will voice star Pierre Coffin, Steve Carell, Russell Brand and Julie Andrews. They will be joined by Taraji P Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, and Alan Arkin.

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