Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez team up in a new sci-fi animation
Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez are teaming up for Not Alone, an alien-themed sci-fi that marks Chalamet’s first leap into the genre. The starry duo will share the screen soon as the project readies for liftoff.
Well, here’s a combination nobody really saw coming: Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez are teaming up in an animated Illumination sci-fi film called 'Not Alone.' Both actors are venturing into territory they’re not known for—Chalamet, in particular, hasn’t exactly staked out a corner in family-friendly animated fare. And yes, that’s the studio behind the 'Minions,' so expect a heavy dose of chaos and probably a fair bit of slapstick. The announcement hit at the Annecy Animation Festival, so it’s all official.
Plot: Rockets, Romance, and Runaway Aliens
The broad outline: Joe (voiced by Chalamet) is a deeply introverted rocket mechanic living the sort of solitary life animated protagonists seem to love. He’s thrown together with Gomez’s Fran, who is, and I quote, 'a brilliant astro-botanist… developing the world’s first-ever plant-fueled rocket.' Let’s pause for a moment on 'plant-fuelled rocket,' because honestly, that’s a detail you don’t see every day and the script will probably milk it for eco-friendly jokes.
Romantic sparks flare between these two, which would be less complicated if three tiny, supposedly adorable aliens didn’t crash into the equation. Dunk, Welly, and Shirm are hiding from a space cop named Officer Zandro, who’s apparently more bumbling than dangerous. Unsurprisingly, the aliens decide that Fran’s new rocket is the perfect ticket back home, which drags all parties into interstellar nonsense.
The Cast: Brits, Americans, and Actual Comedians
- Joe: Timothée Chalamet (introverted human rocket bloke)
- Fran: Selena Gomez (eco-genius, romantic misfit)
- Dunk, Welly, Shirm (the aliens): Rob Brydon, Diane Morgan, Jamie Demetriou
- Officer Zandro (the inept alien lawman): Brett Goldstein
- Supporting: Allison Janney, Lamorne Morris
Behind the Scenes: Minions Alums at the Helm
If you’re wondering about the people running the show, it’s a proper Illumination reunion. Eric Guillon, Claire Dodgson, and Jonathan Del Val direct, with each of them having worked on the 'Minions' films in one capacity or another. Chris Meledandri (Illumination’s founder and CEO) is producing, and Joy Poirel, Richard Curtis, and David Distenfeld are on as exec producers. For those tracking the studio’s moves, Illumination just wrapped 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' and is prepping the next round of Minions mayhem with 'Minions & Monsters.'
Key Date for Your Diary
'Not Alone' is set to land in cinemas on 16 April 2027—so you’ll have to wait a bit to see Chalamet’s animated misfit debut. Before then, the next Illumination project, 'Minions & Monsters,' drops 1 July 2026.