We doubt Al Pacino will have made many friends around the Universal and Illumination buildings this past week. He’s decided to jump ship from voicing the villain in Despicable Me 2, leaving the position vacant just a couple of months before the film is set to arrive in our cinemas. Fortunately for all involved, Benjamin Bratt is stepping in to replace him.
Pacino signed on to voice the new baddie, Eduardo, back in February last year. And even he was a replacement for Javier Bardem, who had been in negotiations to take the part, but never made a deal. Now Pacino’s exit means some fast work for the sound and animation team as they race to get Bratt’s work recorded and edited in to the film.
The sequel, which finds Gru (Steve Carell) recruited by the anti-villain league to fight the brand new threat, also features the voices of Kristen Wiig, Ken Jeong, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Russell Brand, Elsie Fisher, Dana Gaier and Moisés Arias. Despicable Me 2 is still apparently set for release over here on June 28 before a US launch of July 2; it remains to be seen whether our date shifts due to the new change.