Those babbling yellow tic-tac, capsule, kinder surprise case looking minions have marched free from the despicable Gru and are set to bring their adorable jibber to cinemas here from this Friday.
It got us to thinking about some of the other supporting characters that were deemed worthy of their own movie!
U.S. Marshals (Spin off from The Fugitive)
While it wasn't a direct sequel, Tommy Lee Jones' reprisal of his role from 1993's blockbuster The Fugitive as U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard (and the notably similar plotline) meant this was very much a spiritual sequel, Dr. Kimble or not.
Gerard was promoted to protagonist as he hunts down another fugitive on the run in a case of framed mistaken identity, chasing after Mark Sheridan (Wesley Snipes) with Special Agent John Royce (Robert Downey. Jr) hot in pursuit.
Get Him To The Greek (Spin off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
Russell Brand's Hollywood offensive really began with 2008's Forgetting Sarah Marshall, as supporting cast member, English rocker Aldous Snow.
His role as the narcissistic celebrity wasn't too far removed from the reality, and was considered highly enough to be given his own vehicle and whilst it lacked the charm and impact of F.S.M his chemistry with fawning fanboy Jonah Hill is worth the effort alone and really any endeavour that makes P Diddy likeable is worth an oscar!
Machete (Spin off from Planet Terror and Death Proof)
Hispanic hitman Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) made his first appearance in a Robert Rodriguez-directed fake trailer for the fictitious movie Machete alongside the Grindhouse damp squibs Planet Terror and Death Proof.
Clearly considered the thing that survived with any potential, Machete is very much the real deal, with Trejo playinh a Federale who is hired to take out a senator but is betrayed by the double crossers who hired him.
The film is not without its charms with Robert De Niro as a gun-toting politico and the increasingly bizarre presence of Steven Seagal making this a 'cut' above the rest.
Wayne's World (Spin off from Saturday Night Live)
It’s party time, excellent, with this hilariously goofy pop culture comedy that still ranks as the highest-grossing Saturday Night Live spin-off in history. Wayne’s World follows the misadventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey), who celebrate their obsessive love of sexy movie starlets and head-banging hard rock via their very own low-rent cable-access show, “Wayne’s World,” broadcast live from Wayne’s basement in Aurora, Illinios. Wayne's World should be awarded a lifetime achievement award for proving 90's kids with enough catchphrases for at least 3 years. Shawinggg!
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Spin off from Harry Potter)
Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne has officially signed on to portray the lead character in the "Harry Potter" spin-off film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
The film takes place roughly 70 years prior to the events in the main "Harry Potter" series and centers around the adventures of the wizard Newt Scamander. Warner Bros. describes Newt as follows:
Newt Scamander, the Wizarding World's preeminent magizoologist, who in his travels has encountered and documented a myriad of magical creatures, ultimately leading to his penning the Hogwarts School textbook 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.' It is due for release in 2016!
