Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez to Star in Illumination’s Animated Alien Movie ‘Not Alone’

Illumination has found its new animated duo. Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez are set to lead the voice cast of Not Alone, a new original animated alien movie from the studio behind Despicable Me, Minions, Sing, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The project was unveiled at the Annecy Animation Festival, where Illumination confirmed that the film will open in theaters on April 16, 2027.

The film gives both stars a fresh kind of pairing. Chalamet voices Joe, described as “an introverted rocket mechanic who lives a quiet life alone,” while Gomez voices Fran, “a brilliant astro-botanist who is developing the world’s first-ever plant-fueled rocket.” The story brings them together for the rocket’s inaugural launch, where sparks fly even though neither is particularly good at romance.

What Not Alone Is About

Illumination is pitching Not Alone as an original sci-fi romance with a family-friendly alien twist. According to the official synopsis shared at Annecy, Joe and Fran’s lives are upended when three adorable aliens seek refuge in Joe’s home while trying to get back home themselves. That setup turns the movie from a quirky romance into a bigger cosmic adventure, while keeping the relationship between its two leads at the center.

That blend of romance, space adventure, and comedy helps explain why the project is already drawing attention. Illumination is best known for broad family hits, but Not Alone appears to lean more heavily into character chemistry than some of the studio’s recent franchises. That could make it a different kind of event title for the company in 2027. This last point is an inference based on the studio’s announced premise and its previous film slate.

Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez Lead the Cast

The movie also marks an interesting career step for both stars. Chalamet is making his first major animated feature lead with Not Alone, while Gomez adds another high-profile voice role to her résumé after years in both live action and animation. Their pairing also reunites them on screen after previously appearing together in A Rainy Day in New York, which some entertainment outlets highlighted when the announcement broke.

They won’t be carrying the movie alone, either. Illumination has also announced a supporting cast that includes Rob Brydon, Diane Morgan, Jamie Demetriou, Brett Goldstein, Allison Janney, and Lamorne Morris, giving the project a broad comedic bench around its two headline stars.

Main Voice Cast

Who Is Making the Movie?

Not Alone is being directed by Eric Guillon, Claire Dodgson, and Jonathan Del Val, three Illumination veterans with experience across the studio’s biggest titles. The film is being produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and executive produced by Joy Poirel, Richard Curtis, and David Distenfeld.

Creative Team

Release Date and What Comes Next

For now, the biggest concrete detail for audiences is the date: Not Alone arrives in theaters on April 16, 2027. There is no trailer yet and Illumination has not released first-look footage publicly beyond the festival reveal, but the project is now firmly on the 2027 calendar. With Chalamet and Gomez leading, and Illumination treating it as a major original title, the movie is already shaping up as one of the more closely watched animated releases on the horizon.

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