You don’t need a version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” to understand that Universal Pictures/Illumination’s Not Alone is about the stars. And while today’s trailer is overlaid with just such a track, the cute little aliens and the main human characters working on a rocket ship convey that as well.
The trailer also tells us, however, that the movie will focus on those two human characters and their burgeoning relationship. Those characters are an introverted rocket scientist named Joe (voiced by Dune’s Timothée Chalamet) and an astro-botanist developing a plant-fueled rocket named Fran (voiced by Only Murders in the Building’s Selena Gomez).
Here’s the official synopsis, which sheds more light on the plot of the film:
When Joe and Fran are brought together to prepare for the inaugural launch of this revolutionary rocket, there are immediate sparks, but neither is particularly adept at romance. 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.
Let’s talk about those lil’ aliens! They’re voiced by Rob Brydon (Barbie, The Trip), Diane Morgan (Cunk On, Mandy) and Jamie Demetriou (Cruella, Jay Kelly), and clearly full of comic relief, and have a Minions vibe to them (though seem more like distant cousins than close relatives).
The latter isn’t surprising given Illumination is behind the Despicable Me/Minions films. One co-director, in fact, is Eric Guillon, who was the designer for those features (and also co-directed Despicable Me 3). The other co-directors are Claire Dodgson (editor of The Lorax, Minions, Despicable Me 3, Minions: The Rise of Gru) and Jonathan Del Val (co-director of Minions: The Rise of Gru and The Secret Life of Pets 2).
Not Alone also features the voice of Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) as officer Zandro. Allison Janney (The West Wing, The Diplomat) and Lamorne Morris (Fargo, Spider-Noir) are also part of the supporting voice cast.
The film premieres in theaters on April 16, 2027. Check out the first trailer for Not Alone below.
