Logo text George Lucas is lending his voice for a character in Minions & Monsters , the latest film in Illumination’s Despicable Me franchise. In a new interview with Collider , Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri revealed that the Star Wars creator joined the animated feature , which opens in theaters July 1, after sharing his longtime admiration for the studio’s movies. “I had this privilege of meeting George about two years ago, and what led to my meeting him is how much he loves Illumination movies, and specifically  Despicable Me , and even more specifically, the Minions,” Meledandri said. “It was such a thrill to learn that and then to share it with the team, because obviously he’s among a very small group of people who the entire studio shares a level of respect for that is just off the charts.” Meledandri added that after the meeting, he pitched an idea for Lucas’ casting in Minions & Monsters to director Pierre Coffin, co-writer Brian Lynch and producer Bill Ryan.…