Despicable Me (franchise)


Despicable Me is an animated media franchise produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures, consisting of four feature films, fifteen short films, and additional merchandise. It centers on Gru, a reformed super-villain, his yellow-colored Minions; his three adopted daughters, Margo, Edith and Agnes, Dr. Nefario, and his wife, Lucy Wilde.
The franchise began with the 2010 film of the same name and its 2013 and 2017 sequels Despicable Me 2 and Despicable Me 3. A prequel featuring Gru's Minions, titled Minions, was released in 2015. A sequel to Minions titled will be released in 2021.
It also includes a ride attraction, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Japan. It is the highest-grossing animated film franchise in box office history, and the 15th highest-grossing film franchise of all time. The film series has grossed $3.7 billion to-date.

Film series

Main series

''Despicable Me'' (2010)

Despicable Me, the first film in the series, and the first film from Illumination, was released on July 9, 2010. It was directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, based on an original story by Sergio Pablos and written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. The film stars Steve Carell as the voice of Felonious Gru, Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, Dana Gaier as Edith, Elsie Fisher as Agnes, Jason Segel as Vector, Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario and Julie Andrews as Marlena Gru, Gru's mother. It tells the story of Gru, a super-villain who adopts three girls, Margo, Edith and Agnes, from an orphanage to try and steal a shrink ray from Vector, his rival, to shrink and steal Earth's moon. Despicable Me received positive reviews, and grossed over $543 million worldwide, against a budget of $69 million, launching a new franchise.

''Despicable Me 2'' (2013)

A sequel, Despicable Me 2, released on July 3, 2013, was once again directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, and written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher reprise their roles as Felonious Gru, Dr. Nefario, Margo, Edith and Agnes respectively. Kristen Wiig, who voiced Miss Hattie in the first film, voices Lucy Wilde, an agent of the Anti-Villain League who recruits Gru to take down a new villain. New cast members include Benjamin Bratt as Eduardo; Bratt replaced the previously cast Al Pacino. Steve Coogan voices Silas Ramsbottom, lead director of the Anti-Villain League. The sequel was met with generally positive reviews and grossed more than its predecessor with over $970 million worldwide.

''Despicable Me 3'' (2017)

A third film, Despicable Me 3, was released on June 30, 2017. The film was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, and co-directed by Eric Guillon. Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the writers of the first two films, returned to write the screenplay for the third film. Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Steve Coogan reprise their roles as Felonious, Gru, Lucy Wilde, Margo, Edith, and Silas Ramsbottom respectively. Carell also voiced Gru's long-lost twin brother Dru. New cast members included Trey Parker as the voice of Balthazar Bratt, and Nev Scharrel as the new voice of Agnes. The film received mixed reviews by critics and grossed more than its predecessors with over $1 billion worldwide.

''Despicable Me 4''

Illumination's CEO Chris Meledandri revealed in an interview in September 2017 that a fourth Despicable Me film is in the works.

Prequel series

''Minions'' (2015)

A prequel to Despicable Me, featuring the Minions, was released on July 10, 2015. Written by Brian Lynch, it was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy. Sandra Bullock voiced Scarlet Overkill, the villain of the film and Jon Hamm voiced her husband and inventor, Herb Overkill. The film received mixed reviews by critics and grossed more than $1.1 billion worldwide.

''Minions: The Rise of Gru'' (2021)

A sequel to Minions titled Minions: The Rise of Gru was officially announced on January 25, 2017, with an original scheduled release date of July 3, 2020, but was delayed to July 2, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be directed by Kyle Balda and Brad Ableson.

Short films

A total of 14 short films have been released in the franchise. Three short films based on Despicable Me were released on December 2010 on the film's DVD and Blu-ray. The Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray, released on December 2013, included another three short films. Three short films were released in 2015 on the Blu-ray and DVD of Minions, while one short film was released in the Blu-ray and DVD of Despicable Me 3.
A short film titled Mower Minions, was released in 2016 with The Secret Life of Pets, being the first short Minions film released theatrically. A second theatrical short film was released in 2018 with The Grinch, while another one was released in The Grinch's DVD and Blu-ray.

''Home Makeover'' (2010)

Released in Despicable Me 's DVD and Blu-ray. Grouped in DVD Minion Madness.
After the events of Despicable Me, two Minions help Margo, Edith and Agnes renovate Gru's house, so the inspector does not take the girls back to Miss Hattie's Home for Girls.

''Orientation Day'' (2010)

Released in Despicable Me 's DVD and Blu-ray. Grouped in DVD Minion Madness.
Three new Minions go for bomb-carrying duty, which was harder than they thought when they suddenly have an argument with two others carrying a giant bomb.

''Banana'' (2010)

Released in Despicable Me DVD and Blu-ray. Grouped in DVD Minion Madness.
Three minions fight over a banana. In the process, they wreak havoc in the Minions' workplace.

''Puppy'' (2013)

Released in Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray.
A minion watches neighbors walking their dogs on the street, which leads him to search for a puppy of his own. After several failed attempts, he comes across a UFO that takes the role of a puppy for him. After many happy moments, the UFO along with its master is expelled for the mess the UFO has made in Gru's home. After the minion finds out that his pet is homesick, he sends an email to the UFO's home planet and allows it to return home.

''Panic in the Mailroom'' (2013)

Released in Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray.
Two Minions, Ken and Mike, are working in a package room to send parcels through different parts of the lab, while Ken is busy playing a handheld video game. When a package containing expired PX-41, gets jammed in the pneumatic delivery system, it transforms Mike into an evil Minion but he keeps shifting back and forth between being transformed and back to his normal self, much to Ken's amusement. At the end, Mike spits out the PX-41 and it lands on some kittens, turning them evil.

''Training Wheels'' (2013)

Released in Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray.
Agnes is unsatisfied with her toy bike after collapsing off it while attempting to catch up to an ice cream truck with Margo, Edith and their friends. Three Minions then volunteer to modify the bike and help Agnes improve her skills.

''Binky Nelson Unpacified'' (2015)

Released in Minions DVD and Blu-ray.
After a successful robbery at a museum, the Nelsons tell their youngest son Binky, having lost his pacifier in the theft, that now he is a big boy and has to leave his pacifier. Binky at night sneaks into the museum and finds his pacifier. Just as he takes it, the guard comes and finds all the museum artifacts missing and finds Binky and tells him to return all the property but instead he causes a statue to fall over the guard and takes his pacifier. In the end, the Nelson parents return to see Binky at night in his room and find him sleeping calmly. As they leave the room, Binky takes out the pacifier and the guard's hat and wears it.

''Competition'' (2015)

Released in Minions DVD and Blu-ray.
Under the same street the Minions hitchhiked in Minions, two Minions challenge themselves to numerous attacks, ending up on the lab's conveyor belt in the process.

''Cro Minion'' (2015)

Released in Minions DVD and Blu-ray.
Two Minions look after a cave baby while a caveman goes to find a bull to eat for lunch. But it is harder than the Minions think.

''Mower Minions'' (2016)

Released theatrically with The Secret Life of Pets.
In this short, five Minions mow a lawn at the local old people's home to try and earn allowances to buy a blender they have seen on a TV commercial. However, all their work results were chaotic, and four of them were in terrible states after the chaos, such as one Minion having their head stuck in a bee hive, another Minion blackened and naked after an explosion when he turns on the grill, another being inflated like a balloon in the hazmat, and another Minion ends up nauseous with their face turning green. But as it turns out, the old people were very entertained. For this the Minions get 2000 pennies and are able to purchase the blender. However they then see a commercial of an improved version of the blender and then go to earn more money to buy that one.

''The Secret Life of Kyle'' (2017)

Released in Despicable Me 3 DVD and Blu-ray.
After the events of Despicable Me 3, we follow Kyle and his secret life when Gru and his family are gone. This short was directed by Bruno Chauffard and Glenn McCoy.

''Yellow is the New Black'' (2018)

Released theatrically with The Grinch.
Before they all make their big escape from prison in Despicable Me 3, a couple of lucky Minions get a taste of freedom as they break free with the help of one of their fellow human inmates.

''Santa's Little Helpers'' (2019)

Released in The Grinch's DVD and Blu-ray.
Kevin, Stuart and Bob, having been accidentally dropped off at the North Pole, make the most of the situation by trying to become elves.

''Minion Scouts'' (2019)

Released in The Secret Life of Pets 2 DVD and Blu-ray.
After being dazzled by the girls, a group of Minions become scouts in an attempt to earn badges.

Video games

''Despicable Me: The Game''

Despicable Me: The Game is an adventure/action game released with the first film, on PlayStation 2, Wii, and PlayStation Portable systems. During the game, the player controls Gru as he fights off enemies. Despicable Me: The Game – Minion Mayhem, on the other hand, is released on Nintendo DS systems only. Instead of controlling Gru himself, the player controls his Minions.

''Despicable Me: Minion Rush''

An action video game, titled Despicable Me: Minion Rush, also played as a Minion who must defeat Vector, El Macho and two villains made for the game, was released with the second film, on iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, Windows 8, Android, Tizen and Blackberry 10 devices. As of October 2016, the game had been downloaded more than 750 million times.

''Minions Paradise''

A free-to-play mobile game developed by Electronic Arts, titled Minions Paradise, was released in summer 2015. Playing as Phil, players will help Minions design and build their own utopia set in a tropical environment.

Books

Novels written by Annie Auerbach are based on the films.

Theme park attractions

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a simulator ride that opened on July 2, 2012 at Universal Studios Florida and on April 12, 2014 at Universal Studios Hollywood, starring Steve Carell as Gru, Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, Dana Gaier as Edith, Elsie Fisher as Agnes, and Pierre Coffin as the Minions. A similar attraction opened on April 21, 2017 at Universal Studios Japan.

Characters

Main characters

Film reception

Box office performance

The film series has grossed a total of more than $3.7 billion, with an average of over $927 million per film, making the Despicable Me franchise the highest-grossing animated film franchise, and the 15th highest-grossing film franchise of all time.

Critical and public response

Accolades

Academy Awards

Golden Globe Awards

BAFTA Awards

Critic's Choice Awards

Annie Awards

Producers Guild of America Award