Jon Hamm is something of a favourite around Empire Towers, so we’re always glad to hear when the Mad Men star nabs new work. This time, he’ll be putting his tonsils to work on Despicable Me spin-off **Minions.
Hamm has signed on to voice a character called Herb Overkill, the inventor husband of the scheming Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock, who locked in the lead recently).
The story winds the clock back to 1960 (long before they meet Despicable's Gru) where the little yellow chattering guys are in a collective funk after accidentally wiping out all their previous masters. They head to a villain convention, looking for someone to lead them. Audrey Hepburn-styled baddie Scarlet seems like the best option, because she’s aiming to become the world’s first female supervillain.
1960, eh? Well, at least we know that Hamm suits the suits of the time. With a script by Brian Lynch and Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin behind the camera, the movie, which is apparently now just called Minions, is set for release on December 19, 2014. Hamm is also off to India to start work on baseball pic **Million Dollar Arm.
If you like your Hamm well grilled, you might be interested in our webchat with the man himself. For those who prefer their Hamm canned (headphones = cans? Anyone? Whatever…), try his visit to our Podbooth.