Hordes of suited teens are flocking to Minions 2 thanks to new TikTok trend GentleMinions

Teenagers are flocking to Minions: The Rise of Gru dressed in their best suits thanks to a new TikTok trend called GentleMinions. It's unclear where exactly the meme came from, but the video app is filled with clips of teens in formal wear headed to watch the Minions sequel. 

"To everyone showing up to @Minions in suits: we see you and we love you," Universal tweeted, though that love isn't being felt by everyone. In fact, some cinemas in the UK have banned the trend entirely – Odeon reportedly displayed a sign warning suited viewers that they'd be turned away from the film "due to recent disturbances," with a spokesperson for the chain telling Indy100: "Due to a small number of incidents in our cinemas over the weekend we have had to restrict access in some circumstances." Check out the sign, and some videos of the GentleMinions trend, below.

The film had a record breaking opening weekend, grossing over $200 million worldwide, though how much of that came from teenagers in suits is a mystery. Minions 2, following on from 2015's Minions – a prequel spin-off of the Despicable Me franchise – is an origin story for Steve Carell's Gru, showing how he came to be in charge of his legion of tiny yellow henchmen. The first Minions film was a huge success, grossing over $1 billion. It remains to be seen if the sequel can follow in its footsteps, though, as only two films in the pandemic era have crossed the billion dollar mark at the box office so far: Spider-Man: No Way Home and Top Gun: Maverick. 

Minions 2 is in theaters now, if you feel like digging out your suits. For everything else the year has in store for us, check out our roundup of all of 2022's major movie release dates.