Illumination’s “Not Alone,” starring Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez, blasts off next spring. But a new teaser trailer for the film, a fully original concept, has just landed, giving audiences an idea of what to expect.
Chalamet and Gomez’s characters both work at a SpaceX-style rocket factory and, while sparks fly, as the official synopsis notes, “Neither is particularly adept at romance.”
Of course, there’s a twist. (This is a high-concept animated movie from Illumination, the studio behind “The Secret Life of Pets,” “Sing” and this weekend’s “Minions & Monsters,” after all.)
“Life becomes more complicated when three aliens — tiny, unruly and adorable — take refuge in Joe’s home. Dunk, Welly and Shirm are on the interplanetary run from a zealous-yet-inept officer of the law named Zandro. The aliens determine that Fran’s rocket could provide their means of getting back home to safety,” according to the synopsis.
The aliens are voiced by renowned British comedic actors Rob Brydon, Diane Morgan and Jamie Demetriou, with Brett Goldstein as officer Zandro. The film’s supporting voice cast also includes Allison Janney and Lamorne Morris.
The trailer is really dreamy and charming, evocatively set to David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” It brought to mind the original teaser for Pixar’s underrated “Lightyear,” which similarly used Bowie’s “Starman” to great effect.
This is Illumination’s first original movie since “Migration” was released in the fall of 2023. Since then, they have released “Despicable Me 4” and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” the sequel to 2023’s hit “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” “Galaxy” recently crossed the $1 billion-mark and will be premiering on Peacock late next month.
“Not Alone” was directed by Eric Guillon, the co-director of “Despicable Me 3” and one of Illumination’s most prolific and trusted designers, having worked on “Despicable Me,” “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Sing.” He is directing alongside Claire Dodgson (editor of the first and second “Minions” and “Despicable Me 3”) and Jonathan Del Val (co-director of “Minions: The Rise of Gru” and “The Secret Life of Pets 2”).
The film is produced by Illumination’s founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and executive produced by Joy Poirel, Richard Curtis and David Distenfeld. Writing credits have not been revealed but we wonder if Curtis, the writer of “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Notting Hill,” among many others, also co-wrote the screenplay for “Not Alone.”
“Not Alone” lands in theaters on April 16, 2027, courtesy of Universal and Illumination.
