He’s conquered the worlds of ping pong, music, candy, and, of course, sand. Now, for Timothée Chalamet’s next trick, he’s going to a whole new world. Yes, Timothée Chalamet is making the move to animation, and he’s bringing some aliens with him.
Chalamet will make his animated feature debut next year in Not Alone, the next movie from Illumination. The trailer is hitting now on the eve of the company’s latest film, Minions and Monsters, and at the start, it’s not what you’re expecting. It’s sweet. It’s human. It’s vulnerable and poignant. Then, for better or worse, it becomes an Illumination movie. Here’s the first trailer for Not Alone.
Of course, that’s Selena Gomez, who is an old vet in animation thanks to the Hotel Transylvania series, as Chalamet’s co-star. And the aliens who arrive at the end are voiced by famous British comedy actors Rob Brydon (The Trip), Diane Morgan (Mandy, not this one), and Jamie Demetriou (Paddington 2). Their names are Dunk, Welly, and Shirm.
Watching that trailer, hearing the David Bowie song, seeing the beginning of a young romance, I became very hopeful for this movie. It looked like something completely new from Illumination. Something that was prioritizing humanity and emotion over silly laughs. But, then, those aliens arrived. And, of course, that’s the entire point of the movie, but I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed at how their brash, loud personalities seem to clash with the rest of the trailer.
As for how the aliens fit into the story, they are basically running away from an intergalactic bad guy (voiced by Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein), and when they see the spaceship the main characters sent into space, they chase it, thinking whoever sent the ship can help them.
Directed by Eric Guillon (Despicable Me 3) along with other Illumination vets Claire Dodgson and Jonathan del Val, Not Alone is headed to theaters on April 16, 2027.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
