Kylian Mbappé appears in promotion for Universal's 'Minions & Monsters' film

Universal Pictures released a new clip for its upcoming animated feature "Minions & Monsters", highlighting French football star Kylian Mbappé in a promotional video. The short shows Mbappé playing on a Minions‑styled football field, linking the film’s launch to the global excitement surrounding the upcoming FIFA World Cup. While Mbappé does not have a role in the movie itself, his appearance is used to attract sport‑fans to the July 1 2026 theatrical release. The film’s voice cast includes Bill and Tom Kaulitz, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges and Zoey Deutch, and the studio hopes the star‑powered campaign will boost its worldwide box‑office performance.

The campaign underscores a growing trend of major sports figures partnering with big‑budget animated franchises to broaden audience appeal, echoing past collaborations such as Michael Jordan’s "Space Jam" and LeBron James’ "Space Jam: A New Legacy".