Latest news with #DespicableMe
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Mystery as 'Minions' painted under Burnley motorway bridge
An unknown artist who painted motorway stanchions to look like Disney's "Minions" has been described as an "absolute legend".The yellow cartoon creations - featureed in the Despicable Me movies - appeared over the weekend under the bridge over the Leeds Liverpool canal just past Rosegrove, close to Hapton in Burnley, Nicola Leverton posted photographs of them on Facebook, adding: "Whoever did this deserves recognition - endless smiles made all round."Others agreed the "fantastic idea" looks "brilliant" and "better than seeing concrete" in the post which has been liked over 430 times. Locals have jokingly dubbed the artist the "Burnley Banksy" but so far his identity remains a BBC has approached the council and Highways England for a comment. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Tom's Guide
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
5 best Steve Carell movies to stream right now
Generations of fans may know Steve Carell solely as Michael Scott on 'The Office,' but he's had a long and varied career in both TV and film. A lesser actor might have gotten stuck being typecast in Michael Scott-like roles, but Carell has consistently sought out a variety of projects, from the hugely popular animated franchise 'Despicable Me' to the dark psychological thriller series 'The Patient.' While 'The Office' remains perennially popular, Carell continues to take on intriguing roles, playing a restless retiree in Tina Fey's hit Netflix series 'The Four Seasons' and a billionaire oligarch in the upcoming HBO Max movie 'Mountainhead,' from 'Succession' creator Jesse Armstrong. If you're checking out those new releases, or you just binged 'The Office' for the thousandth time, here are five great Steve Carell movies that demonstrate the depth of his talent. Carell and director Judd Apatow co-wrote the movie that proved to be a breakout hit for both of them. Carell plays Andy Stitzer, an affable but shy electronics store employee who's reached the age of 40 without ever having sex. His bro-tastic co-workers (played by Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen and Romany Malco) commit to getting him laid after discovering his secret, and the first half of the movie is filled with often hilariously raunchy humor. What makes the movie work, though, is the emotional core that Apatow brings to his best projects, treating Andy with sensitivity and sweetness, especially once he meets Trish (Catherine Keener), a kind and patient entrepreneur who's looking for a deeper connection. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Everyone remembers Carell screaming out 'Kelly Clarkson!' during the ridiculous chest-waxing scene, but he's just as engaging to watch during the quieter moments. Rent/buy at Amazon or Apple Carell plays possibly the most grounded member of the dysfunctional Hoover clan in this heartwarming, Oscar-winning dramedy. Carell's Frank is introduced recovering from a suicide attempt, but he's otherwise remarkably clear-headed, especially compared to his high-strung sister Sheryl (Toni Collette) and her family. Because he isn't supposed to be left alone during his mental-health crisis, Frank tags along on the Hoovers' road trip to California to see 10-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) compete in a beauty pageant. As Frank frequently reminds people, he is the pre-eminent American scholar of author Marcel Proust, and his melancholy observations about life help him bond with Sheryl's teenage son Dwayne (Paul Dano). While everyone around him spirals out of control, Frank finds an inner calm that Carell captures with his wry, understated performance, an early indication of his dramatic range. Watch on Hulu Carell often steals the show in this Will Ferrell-led comedy, set at a San Diego TV station in the 1970s. Ferrell's boorish news anchor, Ron Burgundy, clashes with his new female co-anchor Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), and he looks to his fellow male on-air staff for support. That includes Carell's dim-witted weatherman Brick Tamland, who is prone to non-sequiturs and generally has little idea what's going on at any time. Brick randomly asserting 'I love lamp' has become one of the most quoted lines from an extremely quotable movie, and Brick provides a sort of pure, innocent counterpoint to Ron and the other lecherous male characters. He's one of the most endearingly absurd elements in a completely absurd movie. Watch on Paramount Plus Carell landed an Oscar nomination for his first purely dramatic role, in this true-life story of eccentric millionaire and murderer John E. du Pont. Carell draws on his many oddball comedic characters to play the off-putting du Pont, who became fixated on wrestling and used his vast wealth to sponsor and train Olympic wrestlers. Mark Ruffalo (who was also nominated for an Oscar) and Channing Tatum play sibling wrestling champions Dave and Mark Schultz, who were recruited to train at du Pont's private facility. Carell makes du Pont both creepy and vulnerable, which doesn't excuse his horrific acts but does allow the audience to understand and even empathize with him slightly. That balance is difficult to pull off, and Carell manages it just as impressively as any of his goofy comedic roles. Watch on The Roku Channel Carell's Bobby Riggs is not the person audiences root for in this inspirational fact-based drama, about the 1973 tennis match between Riggs and female tennis champion Billie Jean King (Emma Stone). Even though Riggs is a sexist pig, Carell finds the humanity in the role, playing him as a desperate man who remains hungry for the spotlight more than a decade after his retirement. Riggs is also a huckster and a gambling addict, and he comes up with the idea of the exhibition match to 'prove' that men are inherently better at tennis than women. It's less about making a political point than about making Riggs some money, and in that way he's more worthy of pity than contempt. Carell conveys that inner sadness, without taking away from King's own struggle and significant achievement. Rent/buy at Amazon or Apple
Yomiuri Shimbun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Osaka: USJ Operator Announces Expansion of Minion Park Area; Foreign Tourists Targeted by Plan
The Yomiuri Shimbun Performers in Minion costumes and fans of the characters express joy about a plan to expand the Minion Park area at Universal Studios Japan, in Konohana Ward, Osaka. OSAKA — The operator of the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka has announced that it will expand the Minion Park area, which features the titular yellow characters, by 40% this summer. The renewed area will have an attraction in which visitors score points by shooting targets with toy guns and a shop which serves special food items. Movies in the Despicable Me franchise, including the two Minions spin-offs, have earned a total of more than $5 billion (about ¥710 billion) in box sales globally. Through the expansion, USJ aims to lure more inbound foreign tourists, the number of which has been rapidly increasing. An event to announce the expansion plan was held on April 24, and about 300 fans of the Minions gathered to celebrate. 'Minions are popular among a wide range of generations,' said an official of USJ's operator company. 'In the new attraction, we hope visitors will enjoy the 'reckless and wild' experiences.'
ITV News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Ringleader jailed for 'largest and most complex' spy group on UK soil
Orlin Roussev ran the spy ring alongside his five 'Minions' - a nickname they used as an inside joke referencing Despicable Me.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Six Bulgarians jailed for spying for Russia
Six Bulgarian have been jailed for spying on the enemies of Russia's Vladimir Putin in the UK and beyond. During a lengthy trial, the Old Bailey heard the ring was paid handsomely for their services, including spying on two journalists who had exposed nerve agent attacks on the Russian dissidents Alexei Navalny and Sergei Skripal. On Monday, the ringleader Orlin Roussev was jailed for 10 years and eight months for the charge of conspiracy to spy while his second-in-command, Biser Dzhambazov, was sentenced to 10 years and two months. Katrin Ivanova, Dzhambazov's partner, was jailed for nine years and eight months by Judge Justice Hilliard. Three others were jailed for between eight and six years. Watch live: Judge hands down sentences to six Bulgarians convicted of spying for Russia All had been convicted in March, after the court heard that they had conducted operations in the UK, Austria, Spain, Germany and Montenegro. They targeted investigative journalists Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov, as well as Russian dissidents and political figures. The case against them, which has been described as "one of the largest" foreign intelligence operations in the UK, focused on six of their assignments. They were directed by Dzhambazov, the senior judge said. He said the defendants were "motivated by money", with "substantial" sums of up to €1m (£840,000) discussed. Judge Hilliard added that the sums of money paid to the spies demonstrated the "value" of their covert activities to Russia. For the first time in a UK criminal court, the inner workings of a Russian operational spy cell were exposed in thousands of messages organising surveillance, photos and videos of their targets, and talk of plans to kidnap and kill. Evidence placed before the court this week revealed new details about Jan Marsalek, the ring's controller for Russian intelligence services. Marsalek, an Austrian, is currently on the run and is wanted in Germany for alleged fraud linked to the financial services company Wirecard. The spy ring referred to themselves as the "minions", inspired by the yellow sidekicks of the villain Gru in the Despicable Me children's film franchise. The group also frequently referred to the Russian GRU agency - its military intelligence service - in Telegram messages. When police raided the Norfolk guesthouse housing the operation, they found a "treasure trove" of gadgets, including a Minion cuddly toy containing a camera. During sentencing, Roussev was ordered to pay a confiscation order of £180,768 in ill-gotten gains by August 2025. Tihomir Ivanchev, Ivan Stoyanov and Vanya Gaberova, the other three members of the gang, received shorter custodial terms of eight years, five years and three weeks, and six years and eight months respectively. Gaberova's sentenced was reduced to six years, eight months and three weeks following mitigation. Her defence barrister Anthony Metzer KC said Gaberova, 30, was "controlled, coerced into this conspiracy by Mr Dzhambazov," who was her lover and also involved with Ivanova. The court was told she had been diagnosed with depression, panic disorder, claustrophobia and anxiety. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said the case was "a clear example" of the increasing threat of state espionage. He added that this case "highlights a relatively new phenomenon whereby espionage is being 'outsourced' by certain states". How spy ring did Russia's dirty work from the UK Bulgarians convicted of spying for Russia face 'double figure sentences'
