The voice behind Gru shares what he first thought of the minions when he was pitched Despicable Me.

The controversy over Universal Pictures’ decision to release the animated sequel Trolls: World Tour straight to premium VOD this year continues to rankle theater owners, but NBCU CEO Jeff Shell said on Thursday’s Comcast earnings call that theatrical will continue to be a key component of Universal’s release strategy. Earlier this week, Shell told the Wall Street Journal that premium VOD releases—meaning major new films being released straight to VOD instead of in theaters—would still be a part of Universal’s release strategy even when theaters re-open. That did not sit well with theater owners, …