Jesse Eisenberg may have decided not to revisit his Oscar-nominated turn as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, but there is no doubt about where his excitement lies now. The actor has found a very different playground in Illumination's Minions & Monsters, the latest chapter in one of animation's biggest global franchises, and he cannot help but feel like he has won a lottery. After years of watching the Minions stumble through history with banana-fueled chaos and silent comedy-inspired antics, seeing Eisenberg embrace this wonderfully bizarre universe feels like a natural fit.

The film marks the seventh installment in the Despicable Me universe and transports the lovable yellow troublemakers into 1920s Hollywood, where their dream of becoming movie stars unleashes monsters and mayhem on an unsuspecting world. It is another ambitious swing for a franchise that has never been afraid to blend slapstick with cinematic history, and for Eisenberg, an opportunity he cannot get over. 

Speaking to Variety during the yellow carpet premiere of Minions & Monsters, Jesse Eisenberg could not hide how much the opportunity meant to him. The actor described getting the call as a career highlight. 

"When they asked me to do it, it felt like winning the lottery. It is exhilarating. It is just so much fun. The people are so nice. And it is such a fun project. It is just." 

His enthusiasm was impossible to miss, especially for someone joining a franchise that has entertained audiences for more than a decade.

Eisenberg also shared that he had long been a fan of the Minions and that the offer came completely out of the blue, making the experience even more surreal. In the film, he voices Dort, an alien robot who becomes part of the Minions' chaotic Hollywood adventure with an ensemble that includes Jeff Bridges, Christoph Waltz, Allison Janney, Bobby Moynihan, Phil LaMarr, Trey Parker, and Pierre Coffin as the Minions. The story follows the Minions as they accidentally conquer Hollywood before unleashing monsters that threaten the entire planet.

Minions Take on Iconic 1920s Noir in a Latest Clip from ‘Minions & Monsters’

While Eisenberg is clearly thrilled to join Illumination's newest animated spectacle, he is far from the only newcomer swept up in Minion mania. Co-star Zoey Deutch has also opened up about her unforgettable first reaction to landing the film.

At the same red carpet, speaking to Variety, Zoey Deutch admitted that she completely lost her mind when she learned she had landed the role. She laughed as she attempted to speak in playful Minionese with cheerful "Bello" greetings before breaking into more hilarious gibberish, perfectly matching the franchise's trademark brand of nonsense.

“I lost my f****** mind, i did…i have been a fan…i was obsessed with it,” she said. 

The actress also shared a few details about her character Debbie, one of the central human figures caught in the middle of the Minions' latest misadventure. Set against the backdrop of 1920s Hollywood, in Minions & Monsters, Debbie finds herself navigating that spectacular chaos the Minions unleash alongside Jesse Eisenberg's Dort, an alien robot, as the film blends classic monster movie thrills with the franchise's signature slapstick humor. 

 Whether it is Academy Award winners or comedy veterans, almost everyone who steps into the recording booth for a Minions film seems to leave with genuine affection for the experience. With Minions & Monsters preparing to unleash another round of lovable chaos on July 1, the cast's excitement only adds to the anticipation. 

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