Cinemas are stopping teenagers in suits from seeing Minions: The Rise of Gru

Minions: The Rise of Gru
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Minions: The Rise of Gru is continuing to cause chaos in cinemas worldwide, thanks to the #gentleminions trend that originated on TikTok. 

The trend involves groups (Gru-pes?) of young people filming themselves going to see the movie on the big screen while dressed in smart attire, which they then post on TikTok. Some also take bananas into the screenings, as they are the preferred snack of the movie's yellow protagonists. 

However, there have also been reports of rowdy behavior at some screenings, including shouting, cheering, and throwing popcorn, which has led some theaters to stop teens in suits from gaining entry to the movie. 

A spokesperson for UK cinema chain ODEON told Sky News: "Due to a small number of incidents in our cinemas over the weekend we have had to restrict access in some circumstances."

Minions: The Rise of Gru, which is the follow-up to 2015's Despicable Me prequel Minions, had a record-breaking opening weekend when it was released on July 1, grossing over $200 million worldwide. It's an origin story for the supervillain Gru, voiced by Steve Carell, and the voice cast also includes Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Julie Andrews. 

The spin-off's release was delayed significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and those taking part in the #gentleminions trend have celebrated the end of the "five-year wait". 

Minions: The Rise of Gru is out in cinemas now. If you don't feel like dusting off your suit, take a look at our upcoming movies guide for everything else coming our way this year.  

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.