TikTok's 'Gentleminions' Are Showing Up For 'Minions' In Suits & Cinemas Can't Take It
Despicable!
Teenagers dressed up for the Minions movie.
Swarms of teenagers have been showing up in suits to watch Minions: The Rise of Gru this week, and some cinema operators say the TikTok trend has become absolutely despicable.
The trend seemingly started as a bit of marketing for the film's release on July 1, and even the Minions account on TikTok has been promoting it.
"Bobspeed you gentleminions," the account wrote in one video, which shows a Minion watching as teens in suits march en masse.
@minions Bobspeed you gentleminions. 🤵 #Minions #TheRiseOfGru only in theaters now. #gentleminions #gentlemen #riseofgru #mintok
Universal Pictures also applauded the fans in suits on the day the movie came out.
"To everyone showing up to @Minions in suits: we see you and we love you," it tweeted on July 1.
But some U.K. cinemas say the fans in suits have been extremely disruptive and they've now banned the outfits from showings, BBC reports.
One TikTok user posted video of sign announcing the ban, prompting many others to rip the theater for the move.
"Due to recent disturbances following the #Gentleminions trend, any group of guests in formal attire will be refused entry for showings of Minions: The Rise Of Gru," the sign reads.
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One theater staff member told the BBC that the ban is meant to make things safer for younger audiences at the movies.
It's been seven years since the first Minions movie came out, and 12 years since the first Despicable Me movie that introduced the characters. That means that many of today's TikTok-loving "Gentleminions" likely grew up with these movies, so it's no surprise that there are so many teenagers who love it.
The suits themselves are meant as a nod to Felonius Gru, the Minions' evil boss in all the movies. The whole thing is meant to be a celebration of the film finally being released after a long wait since the last one.
\u201c3 tickets to Minions: The Rise of Gru, please.\u201d— Universal Pictures (@Universal Pictures) 1656701152
Some videos of the teens getting ready for screenings and heading out in large groups have gone viral, enticing more kids to join the trend online.
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Although certain cinemas are already sick of the teens in suits, there's no denying that the trend is working.
Rise of Gru knocked off Top Gun: Maverick and won the U.S. box office with $107 million in ticket sales over the Independence Day weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. It's already made about $219 million globally in less than a week, the numbers show.
In other words, the Gentleminions are showing up for this one -- whether or not there's a ban on suits.