Check out our store for more greeat new, vintage, and used items!
FOR SALE:
A
controversial, retired McDonald's Happy Meal toy from 2015
2015 MCDONALD'S TALKING CAVEMAN MINION (#5) "WHAT THE
F*CK" HAPPY MEAL TOY
DETAILS:
"WTF!"
or Minionese – you decide!
The 2015 Caveman Minion (#5) talking figurine seems to be saying "What the
f*ck!?!" When Minions fans and parents of those fans showed concern McDonald’s swiftly released an official statement explaining
"minions speak 'Minionese,' which is a random combination of languages and
nonsense words and sounds. Minionese has no translation to, or any meaning in
any recognized language. Any perceived similarities to words within the English
language are purely coincidental." What do you think? Could the controversy have been planned to boost interest in the new (at the time) 2015 Minions animated film?
Due to controversy the "WTF?" Caveman Minion (#5) quickly became a must
have collectible!
Discontinued and retired!
The Minions toys,
particularly #5, sold out quickly after being offered at many McDonald's
locations in 2015. Controversy quickly surrounded the Caveman Minion toy and its vocalization after release and a discontinuance was issued, officially retiring the McDonald's Happy Meal toy earlier than expected.
ON/OFF
switch on backside for controlling sound.
CONDITION:
New old stock in sealed bag. Though the talking Caveman Minion toy is new and sealed the batteries have likely drained over the years and will need replacing. A small triangle head screwdriver is required to open the Caveman Minion toy (a small slotted screwdriver may work as well). Replace the original batteries with two AG3, LR41, 192, 92A, or LR736 button batteries (not included). Packaging may have some light storage wear. Please see
photos.
THANK YOU FOR LOOKING. QUESTIONS? JUST ASK.
*ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT ARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF
SIDEWAYS STAIRS CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.*
"Minions is a 2015 American 3D computer-animated comedy film,[7] serving as a spin-off prequel to the Despicable Me franchise. Produced by Illumination Entertainment for Universal Pictures, it was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, written by Brian Lynch, and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy.[8] The film stars the voices of Coffin (as the Minions, including: Kevin, Stuart, and Bob), Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, and Jennifer Saunders, with the narration provided by Geoffrey Rush. It was first foreshadowed in the end credits of Despicable Me 2 (2013), where Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, three of the Minions and the film's main characters, are seen auditioning for the film.[9]
Minions had its premiere on June 11, 2015, in Leicester Square, London, and went into general release in the United States on July 10, 2015.[10] Critical response was mixed: some critics praised the comedic aspects of the film and the vocal performances of Bullock and Hamm,[11] while also saying they felt that the title characters were not able to carry the film on their own, and that the villains were flatly characterized. The film has grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide (outgrossing each of the Despicable Me films), making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2015, the eighteenth-highest-grossing film of all time, the third-highest-grossing animated film (behind Incredibles 2 and Frozen[12]) and the highest-grossing non-Disney animated film.[13] A sequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru is scheduled to be released on July 3, 2020....
masters.[15] After rolling a Tyrannosaurus into a volcano, getting their caveman leader eaten by a cave bear, crushing a Pharaoh under a pyramid after upside-down construction, exposing Count Dracula to sunlight, and accidentally firing a cannon into Napoleon while in Russia, the Minions are driven into isolation and start a new life in a massive cave. After many years, the Minions become depressed, restless, and unmotivated without a master to serve. To regain their dignity and sense of purpose, Kevin, one fearless Minion, decides to set out to find a new master and asks for help. Stuart, a musically inclined, one-eyed Minion, and Bob, a young and inexperienced but enthusiastic Minion, are recruited.
The trio journey to New York, when the year is 1968. After spending the day attempting to blend in, the Minions end up in a department store for the night, where they discover a hidden commercial broadcast for villains advertising Villain-Con; a convention for villains and supervillains in Orlando. The trio hitchhikes a ride with the Nelson family and impress them with their accidental villainy. At the convention, they see Scarlet Overkill, the first female supervillain, who unexpectedly hires them and takes them to her home in England. They phone the rest of the Minions to get them to join.
Scarlet explains the plan to steal the Imperial State Crown from the Queen of England and promises to reward the Minions if they steal it but kill them if they do not. Her husband, Herb, supplies them with inventions to aid in the heist, but they are nearly caught when they break into the Tower of London, which leads to a chase that ends with Bob accidentally crashing into the Sword in the Stone and pulling it free, removing the Queen from the throne and becoming King Bob. Enraged that somebody else accomplishes her dream of stealing the throne, Scarlet confronts the Minions, so Bob abdicates the throne in her favor. Undeterred because she feels betrayed, Scarlet imprisons the three in a dungeon to be tortured by Herb before her coronation, but they escape with the intention to apologize to Scarlet.
After making their way to Westminster Abbey, Stuart and Bob interrupt the coronation by inadvertently dropping a chandelier on Scarlet, who orders their execution having survived. Dozens of villains chase the three of them during a thunderstorm; Stuart and Bob are caught, while Kevin finds his way into a pub. He sees Scarlet on a television, promising that she will kill Stuart and Bob if Kevin does not show up by dawn. With the villains still searching for him, Kevin sneaks into Scarlet's castle to steal weapons. But right before the villains catch him, Kevin accidentally triggers a machine Herb was building and grows into a gigantic being, destroying the castle. He tramples through London, rescuing his friends and battling Scarlet just as the other Minions turn up in London. Scarlet tries to eradicate them, but Kevin swallows a massive missile she fires at them. Scarlet and Herb attempt to escape with her rocket-dress, but Kevin holds onto it, managing to get a ride. The missile detonates, causing it to explode. The other Minions stare at the explosion in sadness but Kevin turns out to have survived and shrunk back to his normal size.
Queen Elizabeth II gets her throne and crown back and rewards Bob with a tiny crown for his teddy bear, Stuart with an electric guitar and Kevin with a knighthood. Scarlet and Herb, who turn out to have also survived the explosion, steal the crown once more only to be frozen in place by a young Gru, who flees with the crown on a rocket-powered motorbike. The Minions stare in awe and run after him, having decided he is the boss they had been looking for....
Pierre Coffin as Kevin, Stuart, Bob and The Minions[16]
Sandra Bullock as Scarlet Overkill[17]
Jon Hamm as Herb Overkill[18]
Michael Keaton as Walter Nelson[19]
Allison Janney as Madge Nelson[20]
Steve Coogan as Professor Flux and[21] The Tower Guard
Jennifer Saunders as Queen Elizabeth II[22]
Geoffrey Rush as The Narrator[23]
Steve Carell as Young Gru[24]
Katy Mixon as Tina Nelson[25]
Michael Beattie as a VNC Announcer and Walter Nelson Jr.
Hiroyuki Sanada as Dumo, the Sumo Villain[26]
Dave Rosenbaum as Fabrice
Alex Dowding as The Royal Advisor
Paul Thornley as a News Reporter
Andy Nyman as Frankie Fishlips, a Gill-man-like creature super-villain...
The first trailer for Minions was released by Illumination on November 3, 2014, through YouTube.[37] McDonald's released Minions-related Happy Meals on July 3, 2015.[38][39] A series of comics and graphic novels based on the film is being published by Titan Comics.[40] The series includes four comic book issues, two digest collections, two hardcover editions and a paperback collection.[40] Drawn by Didier Ah-koon and Renaud Collin, the series launched on June 17, 2015, with the release of the first issue of the Minions comic book and the first digest collection.[40][41] In April 2015, Pantone announced the creation of a new official Pantone color, 'Minion Yellow' (displayed at right), in partnership with Illumination Entertainment.[42]
Universal's parent company, Comcast, and its partners spent $593 million in advertisements and promotion across all media and platforms.[43] Universal spent a total of $26.1 million on TV advertisement for the film.[44] Universal described the promotional campaign as the "largest and most comprehensive" in its history.[45] However, due to the sheer size of the film's marketing campaign, a backlash towards the Minions started hitting social media with hate blogs towards the characters appearing on sites like Reddit and Tumblr." (wikipedia.)
"A Happy Meal is a kids' meal sold at the fast food restaurant chain McDonald's since June 1979. A small toy is included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a red box with a yellow smiley face and the McDonald's logo. The packaging and toy are frequently part of a marketing tie-in to an existing television show, film, or toy brand....
The Happy Meal contains a main item (a hamburger, cheeseburger, or small serving of Chicken McNuggets), a side item (French fries, apple slices, a Go-Gurt tube, or a salad in some areas), and a drink (milk, juice, or a soft drink). The choice of items changes from country to country, and may depend on the size of the restaurant.
In some countries, the choices have been expanded to include items such as a grilled cheese sandwich (known as a "Fry Kid"), or more healthy options such as apple slices, a mini snack wrap, salads, or pasta, as one or more of the options....
In the mid-1970s, Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño began working with her husband operating McDonald's restaurants in Guatemala. She created what she called the "Menu Ronald" (Ronald menu), which offered a hamburger, small fries and a small sundae to help mothers feed their children more effectively while at McDonald's restaurants.[2][3] The concept was eventually brought to the attention of McDonald's management in Chicago. The company gave the development of the product to Bob Bernstein, who then came up with the Happy Meal.[4]
In 1977, the McDonald's restaurant owner clients who regularly met with Bernstein were looking for ways to create a better experience for families with kids. Bernstein reasoned that if kids could get a packaged meal all their own instead of just picking at their parent's food, everybody would be happier. He had often noticed his young son at the breakfast table poring over the various items on cereal boxes and thought, "Why not do that for McDonald's? The package is the key!" He then called in his creative team and had them mock up some paperboard boxes fashioned to resemble lunch pails with the McDonald's Golden Arches for handles. They called in nationally known children's illustrators and offered them the blank slate of filling the box's sides and tops with their own colorful ideas from art to jokes to games to comic strips to stories to fantasy: whatever they thought might appeal to kids, at least eight items per box. Inside the box would be a burger, small fries, packet of cookies, and a surprise gift. A small drink would accompany these items. Bernstein named it The Happy Meal and it was successfully introduced with television and radio spots and in-store posters in the Kansas City market in October 1977. Other markets followed and the national roll-out happened in 1979.
Award for creation of Happy Meal packaging
Bronze Happy Meal presented to Robert Bernstein crediting him with creation of the Happy Meal.
Bernstein received Trademark #1136758 (Serial #73148046)[5] for his idea in 1977 which he assigned to his valued client, McDonald's Corporation, on June 10, 1980. In 1987 at the annual McDonald's marketing meeting, he was recognized for his accomplishment with a full-size bronze replica of the Happy Meal box with the following inscription:
McDonald's Happy Meal 10th Anniversary 1977-1987
To Robert A. Bernstein, Bernstein-Rein Advertising
Thank you for bringing the Happy Meal, a bold idea, to the McDonald's System.
Your insight and conviction truly has made McDonald's a fun place for children for the past 10 years!
McDonald's Corporation
September, 1987
Often, the Happy Meal is themed to promote a current family-oriented film. The first such promotion was the "Star Trek Meal", to promote Star Trek: The Motion Picture in December 1979.[6] The packaging used for the "Star Trek Meal" consisted of various images and games related to the film, as well as a comic strip adaptation of the film. Consumers had to buy numerous meals in order to complete the set. In 1982, McDonald's recalled Happy Meal toys because they could have been dangerous to children under three years of age.[7] In 1992, McDonald's withdrew their range of Happy Meal toys for the film Batman Returns, after complaints from parents that the film was unsuitable for children.[8]
In July 2011, McDonald's announced plans to make Happy Meals healthier, including the addition of apples. The redesigned meals will contain a smaller portion (1.1 ounces) of fries, along with the apples. On February 4, 2013, McDonald's announced that Fish McBites (fried Alaskan pollock, the same fish used in Filet-O-Fish) would be added as an entree, which would run until March, intended to coincide with Lent.[9]
In 2014, McDonald's added a mascot to Happy Meals in the United States, known as Happy. Happy was originated from France in 2009. Reactions were mixed, with criticism that the mascot's design was too frightening....
The Happy Meal did not introduce the practice of providing small toys to children. When the Happy Meal started in 1979, the toys were a McDoodle stencil, a McWrist wallet, an ID bracelet, a puzzle lock, a spinning top, or a McDonaldland character-shaped eraser. In Canada, the promotion prior to the Happy Meal was called the "Treat of the Week", where a different toy was available free on request each week.[11] This promotion continued after the Happy Meal was introduced in 1979. Happy Meal toys have become increasingly elaborate in recent years. While they were initially items such as a Frisbee or ball, they have gradually been replaced with increasingly sophisticated toys, many of which are a tie-in to an existing TV show, film, or toy line." (wikipedia.)
"McDonald's is an American fast food company, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger stand, and later turned the company into a franchise, with the Golden Arches logo being introduced in 1953 at a location in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1955, Ray Kroc, a businessman, joined the company as a franchise agent and proceeded to purchase the chain from the McDonald brothers. McDonald's had its original headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois, but moved its global headquarters to Chicago in early 2018.[5][6][7]
McDonald's is the world's largest restaurant chain by revenue,[8] serving over 69 million customers daily in over 100 countries[9] across 37,855 outlets as of 2018.[10][11] Although McDonald's is best known for its hamburgers, cheeseburgers and french fries, they also feature chicken products, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes, wraps, and desserts. In response to changing consumer tastes and a negative backlash because of the unhealthiness of their food,[12] the company has added to its menu salads, fish, smoothies, and fruit. The McDonald's Corporation revenues come from the rent, royalties, and fees paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. According to two reports published in 2018, McDonald's is the world's second-largest private employer with 1.7 million employees (behind Walmart with 2.3 million employees)....
The siblings Richard and Maurice McDonald opened in 1940 the first McDonald's at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino, California (at 34.1255°N 117.2946°W) but it was not the McDonald's recognizable today; Ray Kroc made changes to the brothers' business to modernize it. The brothers introduced the "Speedee Service System" in 1948, putting into expanded use the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant that their predecessor White Castle had put into practice more than two decades earlier.[citation needed] The original mascot of McDonald's was a chef hat on top of a hamburger who was referred to as "Speedee". In 1962, the Golden Arches replaced Speedee as the universal mascot. The symbol, Ronald McDonald, was introduced in 1965. The clown, Ronald McDonald, appeared in advertising to target their audience of children.[15]
On May 4, 1961, McDonald's first filed for a U.S. trademark on the name "McDonald's" with the description "Drive-In Restaurant Services", which continues to be renewed. By September 13, McDonald's, under the guidance of Ray Kroc, filed for a trademark on a new logo—an overlapping, double-arched "M" symbol. But before the double arches, McDonald's used a single arch for the architecture of their buildings. Although the "Golden Arches" logo appeared in various forms, the present version was not used until November 18, 1968, when the company was favored a U.S. trademark.
The present corporation credits its founding to franchised businessman Ray Kroc in on April 15, 1955. This was in fact the ninth opened McDonald's restaurant overall, although this location was destroyed and rebuilt in 1984. Kroc later purchased the McDonald brothers' equity in the company and begun the company's worldwide reach. Kroc was recorded as being an aggressive business partner, driving the McDonald brothers out of the industry.
Kroc and the McDonald brothers fought for control of the business, as documented in Kroc's autobiography. The San Bernardino restaurant was eventually torn down (1971, according to Juan Pollo) and the site was sold to the Juan Pollo chain in 1976. This area now serves as headquarters for the Juan Pollo chain, and a McDonald's and Route 66 museum.[16] With the expansion of McDonald's into many international markets, the company has become a symbol of globalization and the spread of the American way of life. Its prominence has also made it a frequent topic of public debates about obesity, corporate ethics, and consumer responsibility." (wikipedia.)
"Despicable Me is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy film produced by Illumination Entertainment as its debut film and project and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was animated by the French animation studio Mac Guff, which was later acquired by Illumination.[6] Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud in their directorial debuts with a story by Sergio Pablos, the title references the main character as he refers to himself and is accompanied by a song by Pharrell Williams.
The film stars Steve Carell as the voice of Gru, a supervillain who adopts three girls (voiced by Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher) from an orphanage; and the voice of Jason Segel as Vector, a rival of Gru who steals the Great Pyramid of Giza. When Gru learns of Vector's heist, he plans an even greater heist: to shrink and steal Earth's moon. However, despite Gru's villainous intentions, he grows increasingly touched by the girls' growing love for him and finds himself changing for the better because of it.
Released theatrically on July 9, 2010 in the United States, Despicable Me grossed over $546 million worldwide against a budget of $69 million.[4] It launched the Despicable Me franchise series of films, including the sequel Despicable Me 2 in 2013, another sequel, Despicable Me 3 in 2017,[7] and two prequels; Minions, released in 2015[8], and Minions: The Rise of Gru in 2020, which features Gru's Minions as the main characters....
A supervillain named Gru has his pride injured when an unknown rival steals the Great Pyramid of Giza. With the assistance of his sidekick Dr. Nefario and his Minions, Gru resolves to one-up this mysterious rival by shrinking and stealing the Moon. Knowing this is extremely expensive, Gru seeks a loan from the Bank of Evil. Mr. Perkins - the bank president - is impressed by the plan, but he will approve the loan only if Gru can obtain the necessary shrink ray first. Upon learning that an up-and-coming villain known as Vector was responsible for the Pyramid theft, Gru openly displays a rivalry with him.
Gru and the Minions steal the shrink ray from a secret testing base in East Asia, but Vector intercepts them and steals it for himself. Gru attempts to break into Vector's impregnable fortress to recover the shrink ray, only to be defeated by numerous kinds of traps. As nothing seems to work, he notices three orphan girls; Margo, Edith, and Agnes, who are able to easily enter the base as they are selling cookies. Gru disguises himself and adopts the girls, planning to use them to infiltrate Vector's base. However, Gru has trouble nurturing them properly due to their stubbornness, their ballet classes and his own ineptitude as a parent.
Eventually, Gru and the girls arrive at Vector's base, and Gru successfully steals back the shrink ray. The girls then suggest a day at a theme park. Gru agrees, believing he can abandon the girls there; but as he cannot, he begins to bond with them instead. Later, Gru contacts Perkins via video chat, stating that he finally has the shrink ray. Margo, Edith, and Agnes interrupt the meeting, and Perkins announces that he has lost confidence in Gru and will no longer fund his operations. As Gru tells the Minions he can no longer pay them for their services, the girls offer the contents of their piggy bank. With his Minions and himself inspired, Gru sells parts of his lair and the items he stole over the years to construct a spacecraft. Gru plans to steal the Moon when it is nearest to Earth, but this is the same day as the girls' ballet recital. As Gru becomes conflicted, Dr. Nefario arranges for the girls to be returned to the orphanage, thinking the recital may ruin the plan. At the same time, Perkins informs his son – Vector - of Gru's possession of the shrink ray and the adoption of the three girls, encouraging Vector to take action.
Gru successfully shrinks and steals the Moon. He rushes back to Earth to attend the recital, only to find a ransom note from Vector, who has kidnapped the girls. After arriving at Vector's base, Gru surrenders the Moon. However, Vector reneges on the deal and, after failing to stop Gru's advance, flies off with the girls and the Moon. Meanwhile, Dr. Nefario has discovered that the effects of the shrink ray are temporary: the bigger the object is, the faster it recovers its original size. Gru, Dr. Nefario, and the Minions execute a daring mid-air rescue of the girls, just before the Moon destroys Vector's spaceship and launches itself back into orbit, along with Vector on it.
Sometime later, Gru re-adopts the girls, writing them a bedtime storybook based on his own experience. The girls perform their ballet recital for Gru, his mother Marlena, Dr. Nefario, and the Minions, only for one of the Minions to switch the music to something more modern, ending the film in a dance party....
Steve Carell as Gru, a mean supervillain-turned-good-natured father
Jason Segel as Victor "Vector" Perkins, Mr. Perkins' son and Gru's archenemy
Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, Gru's elderly gadget man and a friendly scientist
Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, the oldest of the three girls
Dana Gaier as Edith, the middle child of the three girls
Elsie Fisher as Agnes, the youngest of the three girls
Will Arnett as Mr. Perkins, the President of the Bank of Evil and Vector's father
Kristen Wiig as Miss Hattie, owner of the orphanage Miss Hattie's Home for Girls
Julie Andrews as Marlena, Gru's mother
Pierre Coffin as Kevin, Tim, Bob, Mark, Phil and Stuart, six of Gru's Minions
Chris Renaud as Dave, one of Gru's Minions
Jemaine Clement as Jerry, one of Gru's Minions
Jack McBrayer as a Carnival Barker
McBrayer also voices a Tourist, who is Justin's Father
Danny McBride as Fred McDade, Gru's neighbor
Mindy Kaling as a Tourist, who is Justin's mother
Rob Huebel as an anchorman[9]
Ken Daurio as an Egyptian guard[9]
Ken Jeong as a talk-show host[9]" (wikipedia.)
"The Minions are major characters in the Despicable Me franchise.
They are a tic-tac like species from an unknown breed whose only purpose is to serve and find the most powerful and diabolical leaders they could find. They are also the oldest characters of the entire series.
They are voiced by co-director Pierre Louis Padang Coffin, who provides all the voices....History
The Minions predate Humans by millions of years. As stated in Minions, their only purpose in life is to find and serve the most despicable masters in history, although they end up being quite incompetent. In prehistoric times, they served a T-Rex, whom they accidentally killed. While in Egypt, they served and killed an unnamed Pharaoh by dropping a pyramid on him, killing him (as well as other people). When they served a vampire and celebrated his birthday, he is unintentionally vaporized by sunlight. During the French Revolution, they killed Napoleon by shooting him with a cannon. During the 1960's, they served Scarlet Overkill, before going on to serve Felonious Gru. After Felonius redeems himself and becomes a parent, the Minions decide to start serving Felonius' villainous twin, Dru Gru. However, as of Saturday Morning Minions, they are no longer serving him, as they are not seen with Dru Gru.
Behaviour
As their name suggests, the Minions are servants who seek the most evil people to serve. They have an obsession with bananas and apples, referred to as 'bapples'. They speak their own language, "Minionese," which is actually a mix of many Earth languages. They are also able to understand human languages perfectly.
Physiology
The Minions are small, yellow, tic-tac-like creatures. For unknown reasons, they wear blue overalls and goggles. Every member of the species has between one and two eyes.
A possible origin of the Minions is when it was teased in the minute-long short Orientation Day where it was revealed that the Minions originated from an unknown strand of DNA, resulting in millions and millions of Minions we see today.
List of casualties caused by Minions
Tyrannosaurus Rex - (caused) when one of the Minions accidentally tumbled the dinosaur into a Volcano
Unnamed Caveman (caused) - When one of the Minions advise him to use a swatter against a Bear instead of a club, resulted in being eaten.
At least 40 Egyptians including Pharaoh Khufu (caused) - when the Minions accidentally made an error by building the Pyramid of Giza sideways, which led to the whole Group getting crushed when they smashed a Wine bottle.
Count Dracula (caused) - When the Minions attempted to throw a surprise towards the Count, only for the latter to scream in horror as he turns into frozen dust, shortly before one of the minions sneezed which dust particles drifted.
Napoleon Bonaparte - (accidentally caused) when one of the Minions went onto of the cannon to practice fire, only for it to be misdirected at their own leader, resulting with himself blasting away to his death, which led to Napoleon's Men to chase the Minions, eventually losing sight of the them which they go into hiding in the caves.
Yeti (caused) when One of the Minions played a Tuba which crushed the yeti's head, killing him.
Total Kills: 45
Trivia
The Minions are one of the most iconic characters in Pop Culture History.
Their favorite food is the fruit, the banana, which became a recurring joke throughout the franchise.
The Minions have their own spin-off film, with three of them (Kevin, Stuart, and Bob) as the main protagonists. The rest of the Minions have supporting or minor roles in the movie. Gru, who is the film's overarching protagonist, briefly appears in the film's final scene.
Despite being portrayed as being bumbling and incompetent, they have shown unique skills in tasking, as well as being able to escape from prison, able to manufacture any arsenal, and even quickly learn different kinds of machinery. Coincidentally, a proven example is Kevin, the current only intelligent member amongst the minions.
Surprisingly the Minions have the highest body count of the franchise due to being around since the beginning and are responsible for accidentally killing their previous leaders. Another example is when they killed a Pharaoh and a crowd of people under a pyramid.
Their obsession with evil leaders is unknown as they will grow bored even if they are distant.
It used to be unknown how Minions can reproduce, however this fact was debunked in the minute film, Orientation day.
The Minions are also the titular deuteragonists of the film's sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru. There is a rumor that during production, the Minions will be the main protagonists of the sequel, with Gru as the deuteragonist. But when the movie is released, it is primarily focused on Gru, who is the real main protagonist of the sequel, but he is still the Minions' sidekick and the primary comic-relief character of the movie.
When it comes to working with a Villain, they are generally not considered slaves due to the lore behind them showed about their goal which is to voluntarily serve the most evil person in the universe would make them voluntary servants who worked without pay (Whether legal or not).
According to Pierre Coffin, the official population of Minions could be 900. But in the theatrical poster of Despicable Me 2, the non-canonical population of the Minions is 10, 400." (villains.fandom.com)
"he Minions are small, yellow, capsule shaped creatures, who have one or two eyes that were created by Eric Guillon (though there is a running joke- thanks to Karalynn Dunton- that it was Phineas and Ferb co-creator, Dan Povenmire). They are the deutertagonists of the Despicable Me series, as well as the official mascots for Illumination. They bring much of the comedy in the film, and they are known as the scene-stealer of the movie. Frequently, they speak in an incomprehensible language, called Minionese, occasionally switching to English. They are much childish in some ways, yet they seem to be very intelligent in certain aspects. All the minions are supporting characters in Minions (with the exception of Kevin, Stuart, and Bob), major characters in Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 and supporting characters in Despicable Me 3 (with the exception of Mel).
Screenshot 2016-02-14-20-51-20
(left to right) Jerry, Kevin, Stuart, Dave and Carl having an ice cream party from Despicable Me 2
They are impulsive creatures with little self-control, but with a wide-eyed wonder and odd innocence that endears them to viewers and makes them relatable. They can be pesky when they are doing weird interactions with other people, animals, or objects; they are also famous for their gibberish-speaking language. Minions have standard English names (see below).
Unlike most other criminal masterminds and their usual doctrine of abusing their henchmen, Gru gets along famously with the minions. He genuinely seems to like them and shows appreciation for their hard work and support, only having to be strict with them a few times. He even seems to know each of them by name....Appearance
As a rambunctious bunch of simple-minded homunculi, Minions are a similar size and shape but have unique features to tell them apart, such as height, number of eyes, roundness or secondary features such as hair, eye/pupil size or clothing.
Minions are yellow and wear black gloves, small black boots, metal goggles accommodating their number of eyes, and blue jean overalls with Gru's emblem on the fronts.
Minions possess few additional physiological characteristics; with a crack and a shake, they can double as glow sticks for activities in the dark, such as going through ventilation ducts. They additionally can survive without air, as one is seen in outer space without oxygen in Despicable Me.
Though there are several hundred minions, there are only about forty-eight possible combinations of height and build (short and chubby, medium, tall and thin), hair (tall buzz-cut, short buzz-cut, sprout, combed, bald), and eyes (one, two). One-eyed minions are always almost all small, although a tall one-eyed minion appears in promotional artwork. Tall Minions are all with Sprout-Cut Hair which none of the other minions have. Also some of the minions (e.g.. Mel, Bob, Otto, etc.) have unique traits....Personality
They are fiercely loyal to Gru and Dr. Nefario and extremely eager to please, willingly helping with any evil plans, but at the same time they are friendly and fun-loving. Despite being relatively simple-minded, they are capable of building weapons, operating those weapons, using computers, and even driving.
They express themselves mostly through actions, not words: their "language", Minionese, is fairly basic, they speak in strange jabber combined with various human languages. Hence, their language is incomprehensible to most humans, though they do understand English. It is also possible to isolate elements of Japanese and Spanish from their speech patterns.
Minions love bananas and apples (or "bapples", as they call them), and the mere sight of one of these fruits can result in complete chaos. They also enjoy fine arts and find anything having to do with buttocks extremely funny. There are few things these little guys do not find funny. They love trying new things and presumably, they also love potatoes (they mention potatoes on occasion.) They dislike being unsure of themselves, and when Gru leaves questions unanswered. Their sense of humor is somewhat childish, if not silly, laughing from the sound of bubbles in a water filter, scanning their own butt in a copy machine, and when mentioned words such as "bottom" or "butt".
Minions also enjoy playing, especially with Agnes, Edith, and Margo, as seen in the toilet paper fight scene. There is a minion cameo in Sing in a drawer.
Notable Minions
For the category of all the identified minions in the film, short or attraction see here. The italic names below are those minions who have distinctive appearances in different films, shorts or attraction.
Despicable Me
Bob
Carl
Dave
Jerry
John
Jorge
Kevin
Larry
Mark
Paul
Phil
Stuart
Tim
Home Makeover
Dave
Stuart
Mason
Devin
Frank
Vincent
Gerald
Orientation Day
Dave (with buzz-cut)
Bob
Stuart (with buzz-cut)
Kevin
Jerry
Banana
Larry
Darwin
Paul
Lance
Despicable Me 2
Bob
Carl
Dave
Donnie
Donny
Jerry
Jon
Kevin
Lance
Larry
Phil
Samson
Steve
Stuart
Tim
Tim
Tom
Raymond
Puppy
Dave
Panic in the Mailroom
Ken
Mike
Trainning Wheels
Bill
Lewis
Joe
Stuart (with buzz-cut)
Adien (background character)
Minions
Bob
Chris
Dave
Dave
Eric
Henry
Jerry
Kevin
Norbert
Stuart
Tom
Tony
Competition
Phil
Jerry
Cro Minion
Clark
Ted
Mower Minions
Dave (with buzz-cut again)
Liam
Adrien
Carl
Barry
Robert
Lance
Despicable Me 3
Dave
Jerry
Mel
Peter
Tim
Tom
Kevin
Stuart
Bob (only in the opening logo)
Jorge
Carl
Jerry (plump Minion)
Pudgy
Gene
Paxton
Matthew
Todd
Steve
Douglas
Buck
Chris
Lance
Zach
Alvin
Yellow is the New Black
Bill
Todd
The Secret Life of Kyle
Mark
Mike
Minion Scouts
Brad
Mason
Fred
Dan
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Adrian
Bob
Brian
Carl
Cody
Dave
Harry
Jerry
Jim
Joe
Jon
Jorge
Josh
Ken
Kevin
Lance
Mike
Oscar
Otto
Phil
Ryan
Stuart
Thomas
Zack
Minions and Monsters
Alex
Jake
Post Modern Minions
Claude
Jeff
Midnight Mission
Dave
Carl
Kevin
Mooned
Bob
Ralph
Elijah
Isaac
Despicable Me 4
Kevin
Stuart
Bob
Dave
Gus
Jerry
Jorge
Mel
Phil
Ralph
Ron
Tim
Tom
Otto
Minion Rush
Dave
Paul
Mel
Stuart
Jerry
Carl
Kevin
Bob
Minions Paradise
Phil
Carl
Ken
Charlie
Barry
Who's Who?
Jude
Sonny
Marc
Scott
Josh
Bill
Maurice
Sam
Brett
André
Jo
Bruno
Juan
Willy
Harry
Billy
Cinco
Ernest
Neil
Drago (???)
Kurt (???)
Miles (???)
Noah
Jack
Pablo
Rod
Joey
Jeff
Ziggy
Nobu
David
Mel
Quotes
"Poppadom?" — Stuart when disguising as a girl.
"Gelato!" — Minions (means ice cream).
"Kanpai!" — Kevin (means cheers).
"Pwede na?" — Minions (means "can we start").
"Papoy?" — When Minions are talking about toy.
"What?" — Jerry.
"Para tu" — Phil when giving Agnes a toy.
"Bee-do! Bee-do!" — Carl mimicking fire truck siren.
"Ka ga" — A Minion when excited to join a beach party.
"Bottom" — Phil and Stuart making fun of Silas Ramsbottom's name.
Pinof! Pinouf! Pinouf! Pinouf! - Minions cheering for Gru's past villainy.
"Ditto" - Dave's shame of expression.
"Blumock." - Minions in disgust.
"Bubble, Bubble!" - Dave and Eric clapping at the end of the training video while Chris is sobbing.
"KING BOB!" - Bob in the Minions movie.
"Oooh la la" - Kevin.
"CANDEEEEEEEEEEEEE! oof." - Ralph.
"Qwede na! *smooches*" - Samson.
"STONA! STONA!" - Otto rides a tricycle to find the Zodiac Stone from Biker." (despicableme.fandom.com)
"The caveman is a stock character representative of primitive humans in the Paleolithic. The popularization of the type dates to the early 20th century, when Neanderthals were influentially described as "simian" or "ape-like" by Marcellin Boule[1] and Arthur Keith.[2]
The term "caveman" has its taxonomic equivalent in the now-obsolete binomial classification of Homo troglodytes (Linnaeus, 1758).[3]
Characteristics
Cavemen are typically portrayed as wearing shaggy animal hides, and capable of cave painting like behaviorally modern humans of the last glacial period. They are often shown armed with rocks, cattle bone clubs, spears, or sticks with rocks tied to them, and are portrayed as unintelligent, easily frightened, and aggressive. Typically, they have a low pitched rough voice and make vocalisations such as "ooga-booga" and grunts or speak using simple phrases. Popular culture also frequently represents cavemen as living with, or alongside of, dinosaurs, even though non-avian dinosaurs became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, 66 million years before the emergence of Homo sapiens. The era typically associated with the archetype is the Paleolithic Era, sometimes referred to as the Stone Age, though the Paleolithic is but one part of the Stone Age. This era extends from more than 2 million years into the past until between 40,000 and 5,000 years before the present (i.e., from around 2,000 kya to between 40 and 5 kya).[citation needed]
The image of these people living in caves arises from the fact that caves are where the preponderance of artifacts have been found from European Stone Age cultures. However, this most likely reflects the degree of preservation that caves provide over the millennia, rather than an indication of them being a typical form of shelter. Until the last glacial period, the great majority of humans did not live in caves, as nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes lived in a variety of temporary structures, such as tents[4] and wooden huts (e.g., at Ohalo). A few genuine cave dwellings did exist, however, such as at Mount Carmel in Israel.[5]
Stereotypical cavemen have traditionally been depicted wearing smock-like garments made from the skins of animals and held up by a shoulder strap on one side. Stereotypical cavewomen are similarly depicted, but sometimes with slimmer proportions and bones tied up in their hair. They are also depicted carrying large clubs approximately conical in shape. They often have grunt-like names, such as "Ugg" and "Zog".[6]
History
Caveman-like heraldic "wild men" were found in European and African iconography for hundreds of years. During the Middle Ages, these beings were generally depicted in art and literature as bearded and covered in hair, and often wielding clubs and dwelling in caves. While wild men were always depicted as living outside of civilization, it was not always clearly whether they were human or non-human.[7]
In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World (1912), ape-men are depicted in a fight with modern humans. How the First Letter Was Written and How the Alphabet was Made are two of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories (1902) featuring a group of cave-people. Edgar Rice Burroughs adapted this idea for The Land That Time Forgot (1918). A genre of cavemen films emerged, typified by D. W. Griffith's Man's Genesis (1912); they inspired Charles Chaplin's satiric take[8] in His Prehistoric Past (1914), as well as Brute Force (1914), The Cave Man (1912), and later, Cave Man (1934). From the descriptions, Griffith's characters cannot talk, and use sticks and stones for weapons, while the hero of Cave Man is a Tarzanesque figure who fights dinosaurs. Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels (1977-1980), is an animated comedy depicting cavemen as being hairy and carrying clubs.[citation needed]
Griffith's Brute Force represents one of the earliest portrayals of cavemen and dinosaurs together, with its depiction of a Ceratosaurus.[9][10] The film reinforced the incorrect notion that non-avian dinosaurs co-existed with prehistoric humans.[10] The anachronistic combination of cavemen with dinosaurs eventually became a cliché, and has often been intentionally invoked for comedic effect. The comic strips B.C., Alley Oop, the Spanish comic franchise Mortadelo y Filemón, and occasionally The Far Side and Gogs portray "cavemen" with dinosaurs. Gary Larson, in his 1989 book The Prehistory of the Far Side, stated he once felt that he needed to confess his cartooning sins in this regard: "O Father, I Have Portrayed Primitive Man and Dinosaurs In The Same Cartoon".[11] The animated series The Flintstones, a spoof on family sitcoms, portrays the Flintstones even using dinosaurs, pterosaurs and prehistoric mammals as tools, household appliances, vehicles, and construction equipment." (wikipedia.)
"Minions is a 2015 American animated comedy film produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is a prequel to Despicable Me (2010) and the third installment overall in the film series of the same name. Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and written by Brian Lynch, Minions stars the voices of Coffin as the Minions (including Kevin, Stuart, and Bob), Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, Jennifer Saunders, and Geoffrey Rush as the narrator. In the film, the Minions search for their replaceable evil master after accidentally killing all of those in history.
Minions debuted in London on June 11, 2015, and was released in the United States on July 10. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the animation, voice acting, and score, but criticized the character development and humor, which some called unfunny and inappropriate. The film grossed $1.159 billion worldwide, and became the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2015, the tenth-highest-grossing film of all time and the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time at its peak. It also became the highest-grossing film produced by Illumination until it was surpassed by The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023. A sequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru, was released in 2022 to similar success.
Plot
Minions are small, yellow pill-shaped creatures which have existed since the beginning of time, evolving from single-celled organisms into beings which exist only to serve history's most evil masters, but they accidentally end up killing all their masters: rolling a Tyrannosaurus into a volcano, letting a caveman get mauled by a bear, crushing a Pharaoh and his subjects with a pyramid, and exposing Count Dracula to sunlight. They are driven into isolation after firing a cannon at Napoleon while in Russia and start a new life inside a cave, but after many years, the Minions become sad and unmotivated without a master to serve. This prompts three Minions; named Kevin, Stuart and Bob, to go out on a quest to find a new master for their brethren to follow.
The three journey in 1968 to New York City and stay at a department store for the night, where they come across a hidden commercial broadcast advertising Villain-Con, an Orlando convention for all villains. The next day, they hitchhike a ride with the Nelsons, a family of thieves. At the convention, they meet Scarlet Overkill, the world's first female supervillain, who unexpectedly hires them and takes them to her home in London. They phone the rest of the Minions to get them to join. Scarlet plans to steal the Imperial State Crown from Queen Elizabeth II, promising to reward the Minions if they succeed, but also threatening to kill them if they fail.
Scarlet's husband Herb supplies them with inventions to aid in the heist, but they are nearly caught while breaking into the Tower of London. During the subsequent chase, Bob runs into the Sword in the Stone and pulls the sword free to defend himself and his friends, removing the Queen from the throne and making Bob the new King. Enraged that someone else accomplished her dream of stealing the throne, Scarlet confronts Bob, who voluntarily abdicates the throne in her favor. Undeterred, Scarlet imprisons Kevin, Stuart and Bob in a dungeon, where Herb attempts to torture the trio, but they escape with the intention to apologize to Scarlet at her coronation.
After making their way to Westminster Abbey, Kevin, Stuart and Bob interrupt the coronation by inadvertently dropping a chandelier on Scarlet. Mistaking the accident for an assassination attempt, Scarlet angrily orders the trio's execution and has other villains chase them through the streets of London during a thunderstorm. Stuart and Bob are captured, while Kevin hides in a pub and sees Scarlet on television, who declares that she will kill Stuart and Bob if Kevin does not show up by dawn. With the villains still searching for him, Kevin sneaks into Scarlet's castle to steal weapons and triggers a machine Herb was building, causing him to grow in size into a giant. Kevin tramples through London, rescues his friends and battles Scarlet, just as the other Minions turn up in the city. Scarlet tries to eradicate them by firing a massive missile, but Kevin swallows it. Scarlet and Herb attempt to escape with her rocket dress, only for Kevin to hold onto it and get pulled into the sky. The missile explodes, seemingly killing Kevin, Scarlet and Herb. As the Minions mourn the loss of their leader, Kevin survives after returning to his normal size.
The Queen gets her throne and crown back. She rewards Bob with a tiny crown for his teddy bear Tim, Stuart with an electric guitar, and Kevin with a knighthood. Scarlet and Herb, still alive, steal the crown again, only to be stopped by a young Gru, who fires a freeze ray at them and flees with the crown on a rocket-powered motorcycle. The Minions run after him, deciding he is the master they were looking for.
Voice cast
Director Pierre Coffin also voices the Minions.
Pierre Coffin as the yellow, small Minions,[4] including:
Kevin, the leader of the Minion trio, out to find a new master
Stuart, a musician, and the slacker of the Minion trio
Bob, the youngest and smallest of the Minion trio
Sandra Bullock as Scarlet Overkill, the world's first female supervillain and Herb's wife[5]
Jon Hamm as Herb Overkill, a genius inventor and Scarlet's husband[6]
Michael Keaton as Walter Nelson, Madge's thief husband and Tina, Walter Jr. and Binky's father[7]
Allison Janney as Madge Nelson, Walter's thief wife and Tina, Walter Jr. and Binky's mother[8]
Steve Coogan as the Tower Guard[9]
Coogan also voices Professor Flux, a scientist who develops time travel
Jennifer Saunders as Elizabeth II, the Queen of the United Kingdom[9]
Geoffrey Rush narrates the prologue and epilogue [9]
Additionally, Steve Carell reprises his role as Gru, who appears at the end of the film in his younger form.[9] Other cast members include Katy Mixon as Tina Nelson, Walter and Madge's thief daughter;[9] Michael Beattie as Walter Nelson Jr., Walter and Madge's thief son[9] (Beattie also voices a VNC announcer); Hiroyuki Sanada as Dumo, a sumo fighter villain;[9] and Dave Rosenbaum as Fabrice, Scarlet's personal stylist.[9]
Production
Development
Development of Minions was greenlit in July 2012,[10] after writer Brian Lynch recognized the popularity of Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, a simulator ride.[11] Pierre Coffin became director again with newcomer Kyle Balda as the co-director, marking the first film in the franchise where Chris Renaud is not a director. Eric Guillon returned for the film but was not an art director, as he was the character and production designer for the film.
Casting
In February 2013, Sandra Bullock joined the cast to voice Scarlet Overkill,[5] with Jon Hamm joining two months later as her husband Herb Overkill.[6] Bullock was paid $10 million for her involvement.[12] In March 2015, Allison Janney was cast as Madge Nelson.[8] Pierre Coffin, the film's director, reprised his role as the Minions. This is one of the films in the franchise in which Coffin is the lead actor and the first film where Chris Renaud doesn't serve as a director, but an executive producer. Kyle Balda served as a co-director along with Coffin. Jennifer Saunders was cast to voice Queen Elizabeth II.
Music
Main article: Minions (soundtrack)
The official soundtrack for the film was released on July 10, 2015, by Back Lot Music. The soundtrack also features the film's original music, composed by Heitor Pereira.[13][14]
Marketing
Bloomberg News estimated that Universal Pictures spent $593 million in advertisements and promotions for the film.[15] Television ads were spent at $26.1 million.[16] Universal Pictures described the film's promotional campaign as the "largest and most comprehensive" in its history.[17] In April 2015, Pantone announced the creation of a new official Pantone color, "Minion Yellow", in partnership with Illumination.[18] A series of comics and graphic novels based on the film were published by Titan Comics and launched in June.[19] Other promotional partners included McDonald's, Chiquita, and General Mills.[20] The campaign featured 850 toy brands.[21] As a promotional tie-in, Minions Paradise was released.[22]
Release
Theatrical
Minions debuted at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on June 11, 2015,[23] followed by a premiere on June 27, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.[24] The film was initially scheduled for release on December 19, 2014,[25] but was postponed to July 10, 2015. This shift was reportedly made in response to Universal's satisfaction with the successful release of Despicable Me 2 (2013) and desire to exploit fully the merchandising potential of Minions.[26][27]
Home media
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released Minions for digital download on November 24, 2015, and on Blu-ray and DVD on December 8. Physical copies contain behind-the-scenes featurettes; a deleted scene; an interactive world map; short films Cro Minion, Competition, and Binky Nelson Unpacified; and a trailer of The Secret Life of Pets (2016).[28] Minions was the best-selling home-video release of December. Blu-ray accounted for 67 percent of its sales, along with the home-media release of Ant-Man.[29] By the end of 2015, the physical release had grossed about $95.7 million.[30] A 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version was released in 2017.[31]
Reception
Box office
Minions earned $336 million in the United States and Canada and $823.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.159 billion.[3] It was the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2015,[32] the 10th-highest-grossing film of all time,[33] and the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time.[34] On August 28, 2015, Minions passed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, becoming the third animated film to cross that milestone after Toy Story 3 (2010) and Frozen (2013).[35] Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $502 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it second on their list of 2015's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".[2]
In the United States and Canada, Minions was released with The Gallows and Self/less on July 10, 2015. It earned $46 million on its first day,[36] including $6.2 million from Thursday night previews.[37] During its opening weekend, the film earned $115.2 million across 4,301 theaters, making it the second-highest opening weekend for an animated film, behind Shrek the Third (2007).[36] Moreover, it had the largest opening weekend for a prequel, breaking the previous record held by Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005).[38] The film would hold the record for having the highest opening weekend for an Illumination film until 2023 when The Super Mario Bros. Movie took it.[39] Its second weekend earnings dropped by 57 percent to $50.2 million,[40] and followed by another $22 million the third weekend.[41] Minions completed its theatrical run on December 17, 2015.[42]
Worldwide, Minions debuted in 44 markets on June 18, 2015,[43] and later a total of 66 countries by July 11.[44] The film earned $12.5 million in its opening weekend from four countries,[45] and in its second, Minions made $37.6 million in 10 markets.[46] Its top international markets were the United Kingdom ($73.1 million), China ($63.47 million), and Germany ($63.46 million)....Sequel
Main article: Minions: The Rise of Gru
Minions was followed by Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), the fifth overall installment in the Despicable Me franchise.[79] In the film, an eleven-year-old Gru plans to become a supervillain with the help of his Minions, which leads to a showdown with a malevolent team, the Vicious 6.[80] It achieved similar financial and critical success as the first two Despicable Me films." (wikipedia.)
"Despicable Me is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. It centers on a former supervillain turned secret agent named Gru, his adoptive daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his yellow-colored Minions. The franchise is produced by Illumination and distributed by its parent company Universal Pictures.
The franchise began with the 2010 film of the same name, which was followed by two sequels, Despicable Me 2 (2013) and Despicable Me 3 (2017), with a sequel, Despicable Me 4, coming on July 3, 2024; and by two spin-off prequels, Minions (2015) and Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022). The franchise also includes many short films, a television special, several video games, and a theme park attraction. It is the highest-grossing animated film franchise, the 15th highest-grossing film franchise of all time and also one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
Film U.S. release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Producer(s)
Main series
Despicable Me July 9, 2010 Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio and Sergio Pablos Chris Meledandri, John Cohen and Janet Healy
Despicable Me 2 July 3, 2013 Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy
Despicable Me 3 June 30, 2017 Pierre Coffin and Kyle BaldaCo-director:
Eric Guillon
Despicable Me 4 July 3, 2024 Chris RenaudCo-director:
Patrick Delage Mike White and Ken Daurio Chris Meledandri and Brett Hoffman
Prequel series
Minions July 10, 2015 Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda Brian Lynch Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy
Minions: The Rise of Gru July 1, 2022 Kyle BaldaCo-directors:
Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val Brian Lynch and Matthew Fogel Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy and Chris Renaud
Main series
Despicable Me (2010)
Main article: Despicable Me (film)
Longtime supervillain Gru formulates a plan to steal the Moon. Meanwhile, he starts a family by adopting three orphan girls, and must decide where his commitments lie.[2][3]
Despicable Me debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 9, 2010,[4] and was released in the United States on July 9.[5]
Despicable Me 2 (2013)
Main article: Despicable Me 2
Gru is recruited by agent Lucy Wilde, who is investigating a theft of the mutagen called PX-41, stolen from the Arctic Circle. During their investigations,[6][7][8] they extract Eduardo Pérez / El Macho,[9][10] a supervillain with the goal of causing world domination after faking his death.[6][10]
Despicable Me 2 debuted in Australia on June 5, 2013,[11] and was released in the United States on July 3.[12]
Despicable Me 3 (2017)
Main article: Despicable Me 3
Gru teams up with his long-lost twin brother Dru to stop Balthazar Bratt, a former child actor of the 1980s, from destroying Hollywood, Los Angeles, after his show is canceled.[13][14]
Despicable Me 3 debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 14, 2017,[15] and was theatrically released in the United States on June 30.[16]
Despicable Me 4 (2024)
Main article: Despicable Me 4
Gru, who is now raising a baby, faces Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, two villains who seek revenge on Gru and his family, forcing the family to go on the run.[17]
Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri revealed in an interview in September 2017 that a fourth Despicable Me film is in development.[18] On February 18, 2022, Universal scheduled the film for a July 3, 2024 release.[19]
Prequel series
Minions (2015)
Logo of the first Minions film
Main article: Minions (film)
The Minions search for their replaceable evil master after accidentally killing all of those in history.[20]
Minions debuted in London on June 11, 2015,[21] and was released in the United States on July 10.[22]
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
Main article: Minions: The Rise of Gru
Logo of Minions: The Rise of Gru.
An eleven-year-old Gru plans to become a supervillain with the help of his Minions, which leads to a showdown with a malevolent team, the Vicious 6.[23]
Minions: The Rise of Gru debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022,[24] and was released in the United States on July 1.[25]
Short films
A total of 18 short films have been released in the franchise. Three short films based on Despicable Me were released in December 2010 on the film's DVD and Blu-ray.[26][27] The Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray, released in December 2013, included another three short films.[28] Three short films were released in 2015 on the Blu-ray and DVD of Minions,[29] while one short film was released in the Blu-ray and DVD of Despicable Me 3.[30]
A short film titled Mower Minions was released in 2016 with The Secret Life of Pets, being the first short film to be released theatrically.[31] 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.[32]
Home Makeover (2010)
Released on the Despicable Me DVD and Blu-ray.[26][27]
After the events of Despicable Me, the Minions help Margo, Edith, and Agnes renovate Gru's house, so the social worker does not take the girls back to Miss Hattie's Home for Girls.
Orientation Day (2010)
Released on the Despicable Me DVD and Blu-ray.[26][27]
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 on the Despicable Me DVD and Blu-ray.[26][27]
Three Minions fight over a banana. In the process, they wreak havoc in the Minions' workplace.
Puppy (2013)
Released on the Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray.[28]
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.
Panic in the Mailroom (2013)
Released on the Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray.[28]
Two Minions work sending parcels through the lab. When a package containing expired PX-41 (the serum that El Macho used to transform the Minions and himself in Despicable Me 2), gets jammed in the pneumatic delivery system, it transforms one of them into an evil Minion.
Training Wheels (2013)
Released on the Despicable Me 2 DVD and Blu-ray.[28]
Agnes is unsatisfied with her toy bike after falling 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 on the Minions DVD and Blu-ray.[29]
The Nelsons' youngest son Binky, having lost his pacifier after a successful robbery at a museum, sets out on a mission to retrieve it.
Competition (2015)
Released on the Minions DVD and Blu-ray.[29]
Two Minions challenge themselves to numerous attacks, ending up on the lab's conveyor belt in the process.
Cro Minion (2015)
Released on the Minions DVD and Blu-ray.[29]
Two Minions look after a cave baby while their caveman boss 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 (2016).[31]
A group of Minions try to earn some money by mowing a lawn at a local old people's home. But their work results turn out to be chaotic.
The Secret Life of Kyle (2017)
Released on the Despicable Me 3 DVD and Blu-ray.[30]
After the events of Despicable Me 3, we follow Kyle and his secret life when Gru and his family are gone.
Yellow is the New Black (2018)
Released theatrically with The Grinch (2018).[32]
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 on The Grinch DVD and Blu-ray.[32]
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 on The Secret Life of Pets 2 DVD and Blu-ray.[33]
When Margo, Agnes and Edith return from a Scout camp, a group of Minions are entranced by the girls' merit badges and become scouts in an attempt to earn badges for themselves.
Minions & Monsters (2021)
Aired on NBC on June 11, 2021[citation needed] and included in the Minions: The Rise of Gru DVD and Blu-ray.[34]
A rookie Minion joins other Minions in a tabletop role-playing game.
Post Modern Minion (2022)
Released on the Minions: The Rise of Gru DVD and Blu-ray.[34]
When a Minion crashes into an art gallery, an art critic praises his creation and he becomes an overnight celebrity.
Mooned (2023)
Released theatrically with Migration (2023).[35]
Taking place sometime after the events of the first film, Vector Perkins, still stuck on the Moon, attempts to escape.
Midnight Mission (2024)
Released on the Migration 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, DVD and Blu-ray.[36]
Three Minions will try anything to help Agnes overcome her fear of the dark, even if it involves going into outer space.
Other media
Television special
Minions Holiday Special is a half-hour compilation of Minions mini-movies, containing Santa's Little Helpers, Training Wheels, Puppy, and Minion Scouts. Additionally, the special includes holiday-themed interstitials featuring characters from Illumination's The Secret Life of Pets and Sing franchises. The special aired on NBC on November 27, 2020.[37]
Miranda Cosgrove, who voices Margo in the films, provides narration between the short segments.
Digital series
Saturday Morning Minions debuted in the United States on Instagram and Facebook pages of Illumination on June 9, 2021, releasing weekly on Saturdays, and consists of 40 episodes. The series features a 2D animation style.[38] Who's Who will be released on TikTok and subsequently on YouTube.[39]
Outside media
Video games
The video game, titled Despicable Me: The Game, was released for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii.[40] A Nintendo DS version was released under the name Despicable Me: The Game - Minion Mayhem.[41] Namco also released on July 6, 2010 a version for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch platform entitled Despicable Me: Minion Mania, developed by Anino Games. The game was removed from the App Store on January 1, 2013.[42]
The action video game, titled Despicable Me: Minion Rush, was released on June 13, 2013. The game, developed by Gameloft, was adapted for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV,[43] Android, and Windows Phone devices. Played as one of the Minions, it allows customization of the character, who must perform various tasks, including defeating Vector and a new villain created for the game, to earn the title of Minion of the Year.[44][45] The game was downloaded more than 100 million times in the first three months after its release.[46] The game won a British Academy Children's Award in the category BAFTA's Kids' Vote and a Kids' Choice Award for Favorite App.[47][48][49] By June 2021, the game hit 1 billion downloads worldwide across iOS, Android, and other devices.[50]
The free-to-play mobile game developed by Electronic Arts (otherwise known as EA), titled Minions Paradise, was released in the summer of 2015.[51] Playing as Phil, players will help Minions design and build their own utopia set in a tropical environment. The game was removed from the App Store on May 22, 2017.[51]
Theme park attractions
Main article: Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
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. The same attraction (featuring Japanese and Chinese voice casts) opened on April 21, 2017, at Universal Studios Japan and September 20, 2021, at Universal Studios Beijing.
In addition to the Minion Mayhem attraction, Universal Studios Florida features an entire Minion Land with a moving-walkway shooter attraction titled Villain-Con: Minion Blast.[citation needed]
Characters
Main characters
Felonious Gru Sr. (voiced by Steve Carell): The protagonist in the Despicable Me series who speaks with an Eastern European accent. He is the son of Marlena, the twin brother of Dru, the adoptive father of Margo, Edith, and Agnes; husband of Lucy, and the boss of the Minions. At the beginning of the first film, Gru is an ambitious supervillain who constantly seeks approval from his mother, until the adoption of his daughters convinces him that their happiness is important. In the second film, Gru leaves his villainous past behind to care for his daughters, but then soon joins forces - unwillingly - with secret agent Lucy Wilde, whom he later marries. In the third film, after he and Lucy are fired from their jobs at the Anti-Villain League, Gru learns that he has a twin brother, Dru. Along with Lucy and the girls, Gru meets Dru at his mansion in Freedonia, and they form a brotherly relationship over the course of the film. By the fourth film, he raises a new child. Felonious Gru was originally conceived as a Dracula-like character, but directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin later opted for a villain who would echo "the world of James Bond, thinking of characters like Goldfinger and obviously the Bond-ian world of technology".[52] Gru also bears some similarities with British comic-book character Grimly Feendish, and with the pre-Crisis version of Lex Luthor[53]
The Minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin in all films and the theme park attraction, Chris Renaud in the first two films except spin-offs and attractions, James Arnold Taylor in the 2010 video game, and Jemaine Clement as Jerry the Minion in the first film): Gru's small, yellow, comical henchmen who have one or two eyes. The Minions speak a language that Coffin created by mixing gibberish with words from many languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Indonesian.[54][55] Although seemingly nonsensical, the English-sounding words are dubbed for every country, in order to make them recognizable.[56] It is shown in Minions that they have existed since the beginning of life on Earth, and desire above all else to serve the most terrible of villains.[57] In the short film "Banana", the Minions are revealed to have an uncontrollable craving for fruits, especially bananas. Mentioned by name in the films and other media are Bob, Stuart, Kevin, Otto, Mel, Dave, Ken, Mike, Jerry, Carl, Lance, Tom,[58] Phil,[59] Tim,[59] Mark, Jorge,[60] and Norbert
The Girls: Three sisters, whom Gru adopts to further his scheme in the first film and gradually comes to love
Margo (voiced by Miranda Cosgrove): The mature oldest sister. In the first film, among the trio, Margo was the most suspicious of Gru initially; but came to trust him at the end of the film. She is something of a protectress to her sisters. She later takes an interest in boys, which makes Gru overprotective and freeze boys who break her heart
Edith (voiced by Dana Gaier): The tomboyish middle sister; the first to enjoy Gru's eclectic possessions, when adopted by him. Practices martial arts in the second film
Agnes (voiced by Elsie Fisher in the first two films; Nev Scharrel in the third film, and Madison Polan in the fourth film[61]): The happy-go-lucky youngest sister, and the quickest to trust Gru in the first film. She is presented as an innocent, against her more worldly sisters, and has a strong love for unicorns. In the third film, she "adopts" a one-horned goat whom she names Lucky after mistaking him for a unicorn. Even after learning he was a goat, Agnes continues to love Lucky
Lucy Wilde (voiced by Kristen Wiig): A cunning secret agent who has teamed up with Gru to hunt down an extremely dangerous supervillain. She loves one-upping Gru with her quirky gadgets and has perfected her own form of martial arts by combining jujitsu, krav maga, Aztec warfare, and krumping. After 147 dates, she marries Gru and becomes the girls' adoptive mother. She is now Mrs. Luciana "Lucy" Gru. In Despicable Me 4, it is revealed that she and Gru have a baby named Gru Jr.
Dr. Nefario (voiced by Russell Brand in the films, and JB Blanc in the video game): Gru's hearing-impaired inventor and partner-in-crime who speaks with a British accent. He seems to have a romantic interest in Gru's mother, Marlena. In the second film, he misses being a villain so he goes to work for El Macho, but abandons him after he turns the Minions into monsters. He is absent in most of the third film, having accidentally frozen himself in carbonite, similar to that of Han Solo from Star Wars. In Minions: The Rise of Gru, it is revealed Nefario previously worked at a record shop called "Criminal Records", which the Vicious 6 use as a cover for their lair before going to work for Gru
Dru Gru (voiced by Steve Carell): Gru's charming, happy-go-lucky long-lost twin brother, who is also in the supervillain business. Dru looks just like his brother, only he has blonde hair and wears white attire. He is Lucy's brother-in-law, Gru Jr.'s uncle, and the adoptive uncle of Margo, Edith, and Agnes
Silas Ramsbottom (voiced by Steve Coogan): Director of the Anti-Villain League (AVL) in the second film. The Minions (and Gru) make fun of his surname. In the third film, he retires from the AVL and is replaced by Valerie Da Vinci as the new Director of the AVL
Kyle (vocal effects by Frank Welker): Is a pet dog-like monster of the Gru family, belonging to Gru, and then given to Agnes. Kyle was originally a vicious, aggressive, ferocious, and monstrous blue creature that even Gru had trouble controlling. At times he would attack Gru but despite this he also seemed to be easily spooked and appeared frightened whenever Gru or anyone else opened the secret lair and also ran away from Agnes, unused to the fact that she thought he is cute instead of trying to avoid him. When Agnes, Edith and Margo first arrived, Kyle greeted them by snarling but he gradually warms up to the girls, especially Agnes and started sleeping with her at night. Although he seemed exasperated when the three girls dressed him up, he nevertheless develops an attachment towards them just like Gru did.
Lucky (vocal effects by Frank Welker): Is a small one-horned white baby goat and a supporting character in the third film. Agnes first thought he was a real living unicorn, though Gru tells her that he is just a goat, Agnes still cherishes Lucky, and he becomes her new pet. a trusting baby goat with one horn whom Agnes discovers in the Freedonia forest and enthusiastically mistakes for a Unicorn. when the adorable Unigoat excitedly licks her face, Agnes giggles gleefully and declares that she will call him Lucky, become her pet and came to live with her in Gru’s house
Marlena (voiced by Julie Andrews): Gru and Dru's mother. Her neglect of Gru's ambitions is identified among the main reasons why he became a supervillain. In the denouement of the first film, she admits to him that he is a better parent than her. Marlena later makes a silent cameo appearance in the second film at Gru and Lucy's wedding. In the third film, Marlena reveals to Gru that after she and Gru and Dru's father divorced, they promised to never see each other again and they each got to take one son with them, with Marlena saying that she got "second pick"
Fritz (voiced by Steve Coogan): Dru's courteous, well mannered butler who speaks with a British accent. He takes Gru, Lucy, and the girls to meet Dru at his mansion in Freedonia
Valerie Da Vinci (voiced by Jenny Slate): A ruthless member of the Anti-Villain League (AVL) who replaces Silas Ramsbottom as Director in the third film. She fires Gru and Lucy due to them failing to capture Balthazar Bratt
Felonious Gru Jr.: An infant biological son of Gru and Lucy and also an adoptive brother of the Girls who strongly dislikes his father in the fourth film
Poppy Prescott (voiced by Joey King): An inspiring supervillain who admires Gru's work as a villain
Wild Knuckles (voiced by Alan Arkin): The former leader of the Vicious 6 who was ousted because of his old age, and later becomes Gru's mentor
Master Chow (voiced by Michelle Yeoh): A former Kung Fu teacher who now makes a living working at a spa in Minions: The Rise of Gru
Antagonists
Victor "Vector" Perkins (voiced by Jason Segel, Jason Harris in the video game): The villain in the first film, Gru's rival, and the son of Mr. Perkins, the President of the Bank of Evil. He was responsible for the theft of the Great Pyramid of Giza and competes against Gru to get ahold of a shrink ray and eventually of the Moon
Mr. Perkins (voiced by Will Arnett): Vector's father and enormous and equally strong President of the Bank of Evil, responsible for giving out loans to villains in their schemes (formerly including Gru)
Miss Hattie (voiced by Kristen Wiig): The charismatic but cruel owner of the orphanage from which Gru adopts his daughters. She sends Margo, Edith, and Agnes out to sell cookies and makes them sleep in cardboard boxes if they fail to meet their quota
Eduardo "El Macho" Pérez (voiced by Benjamin Bratt): A Mexican-accented supervillain in the second film. As El Macho, he was believed to have died after strapping 250 pounds of dynamite on himself and riding a shark into an active volcano. However, it turns out that he actually faked his death, and he became the owner of a Mexican restaurant. He has a son named Antonio, with whom Margo is infatuated at first, until Antonio abandons her. He planned to abduct most of Gru's Minions and turn them into indestructible, evil Minions with a chemical compound he stole called PX-41 and send the mutated Minions to major cities to take over the world
Pollito (vocal effects by Will Arnett): Is a El Macho's pet chicken. Eduardo apparently kept Pollito ever since he was a chick, as shown in picture the restaurant owner keeps in the Salsa & Salsa kitchen, When Lucy and Gru break into the Salsa & Salsa restaurant, Gru accidentally trips a wire which caused Pollito to come out. But Lucy and Gru don't think that the chicken is much of a threat. As Gru started insulting Pollito stating that the chicken is not so much of a guard dog, the chicken attacks and pecks Gru's face. Lucy stops Pollito by shooting her with the epoxy
Balthazar Bratt (voiced by Trey Parker): A supervillain in the third film. A former 1980s child star, he adopts the identity of his supervillain character after the onset of puberty leads to the cancellation of his television series. He is obsessed with 1980s pop culture and uses a giant robot armed with a laser and inflatable bubble gum to exact revenge on Hollywood
Clive (voiced by Andy Nyman): A robot who acts as Balthazar Bratt's sidekick
Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell): A supervillain who wants revenge on Gru and his family
Valentina (voiced by Sofia Vergara): Le Mal's femme fatale girlfriend
Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock): In Minions, she is the world's first female super-villain who is bent on becoming the Queen of England, and served as the Minions' boss before Gru
Herb Overkill (voiced by Jon Hamm): Scarlet's husband and an inventor
The Vicious 6: A group of six supervillains who appear in Minions: The Rise of Gru. (The team name might have been inspired on Marvel Comics' the Sinister Six, enemies of Spider-Man.) Their members include:
Belle Bottom (voiced by Taraji P. Henson): A Blaxploitation-themed femme fatale villain and the newly-appointed leader of the group after Wild Knuckles, who wants to take on the Anti-Villain League
Jean Clawed (voiced by Jean-Claude Van Damme): A member with a giant mechanical lobster claw for his right arm who speaks in a French accent
Nun-Chuck (voiced by Lucy Lawless): A nunchuck-wielding nun
Svengeance (voiced by Dolph Lundgren): A roller skater
Stronghold (voiced by Danny Trejo): A member with big metal hands
Voice cast
List indicator(s)
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in the feature films.
An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
Character 2010 2013 2015 2017 2022 2024
Despicable Me Despicable Me 2 Minions Despicable Me 3 Minions:
The Rise of Gru Despicable Me 4
Introduced in Despicable Me
Gru Steve Carell[62][63][64]
Minions Pierre Coffin[65]Chris Renaud[66]Jemaine Clement[67] Pierre Coffin[65]Chris Renaud[68] Pierre Coffin[65]
Margo Miranda Cosgrove[69] Miranda Cosgrove[70] Miranda Cosgrove[62]
Edith Dana Gaier[71] Dana Gaier[71] Dana Gaier[72]
Agnes Elsie Fisher[73] Nev Scharrel[74] Madison Polan[72]
Dr. Nefario Russell Brand[69] Russell Brand[75]
Marlena Julie Andrews[76] Julie Andrews[76]
Mr. Perkins Will Arnett[77] Will Arnett[78]
Vector Jason Segel[79]
Miss Hattie Kristen Wiig[69]
Introduced in Despicable Me 2
Lucy Wilde Kristen Wiig[10] Kristen Wiig[70] Kristen Wiig[62]
Silas Ramsbottom Steve Coogan[80] Steve Coogan[78][81][72]
Eduardo Perez
El Macho Benjamin Bratt[80]
Floyd Eagle-san Ken Jeong[80]
Antonio Moises Arias[82]
Introduced in Minions
Scarlett Overkill Sandra Bullock[83]
Herb Overkill Jon Hamm[84]
Walter Nelson Michael Keaton[85]
Madge Nelson Allison Janney[86]
Elizabeth II Jennifer Saunders[87]
Introduced in Despicable Me 3
Dru Steve Carell[88]
Balthazar Bratt Trey Parker[88]
Fritz Steve Coogan[89]
Valerie Da Vinci Jenny Slate[70]
Clive Andy Nyman[89]
Introduced in Minions: The Rise of Gru
Belle Bottom Taraji P. Henson[75]
Master Chow Michelle Yeoh[75]
Biker RZA[75]
Jean-Clawed Jean-Claude Van Damme[75]
Nun-Chuck Lucy Lawless[75]
Svengeance Dolph Lundgren[75]
Stronghold Danny Trejo[75]
Wild Knuckles Alan Arkin[90]
Introduced in Despicable Me 4
Maxime Le Mal Will Ferrell[72]
Poppy Prescott Joey King[72]
Valentina Sofia Vergara[72]
Perry Prescott Stephen Colbert[72]
Patsy Prescott Chloe Fineman[72]
Reception
Box office performance
The Despicable Me franchise has grossed a total of more than $4.6 billion,[91] making it the highest-grossing animated film franchise,[92] and the 15th highest-grossing film franchise of all time.[93] Each film was one of the highest-grossing films of the year." (wikipedia.)
"Illumination, formerly known as Illumination Entertainment, is an American animation studio founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007 and is a division of Universal Pictures,[5][6][7] a division of Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal; Meledandri produces the films, while Universal finances and distributes them.[6] The studio is best known for creating the Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing franchises, as well as the adaptations of Dr. Seuss' books The Lorax and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!; and Nintendo video games, starting with The Super Mario Bros. Movie.[8] The Minions, characters from the Despicable Me series, are the mascots of the studio.
Illumination has produced 14 feature films, with an average gross of $711 million per film. The studio's highest-grossing films are The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023; $1.362 billion), Minions (2015; $1.159 billion), and Despicable Me 3 (2017; $1.034 billion), all of which are among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time, and eight of their films are among the 50 highest-grossing animated films.
History
Logo used from 2010 to 2017; still used on trailers and promotional material
Meledandri left as President of 20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios in early 2007. While at those companies he supervised or executive-produced movies including Ice Age, Robots, Ice Age: The Meltdown, and Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!. After leaving, he founded Illumination Entertainment and a deal was announced positioning Illumination Entertainment as Universal's family entertainment arm, that would produce one to two films a year starting in 2010.[9] As part of the deal, Illumination retains creative control and Universal Pictures exclusively distributes the films.[10]
In 2011, Illumination acquired the animation department of the French animation and visual effects studio Mac Guff, which animated Despicable Me and Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, and formed Illumination Mac Guff (later Illumination Studios Paris).[11][12][13]
On August 22, 2016, NBCUniversal acquired competing studio DreamWorks Animation, which fueled speculation that Meledandri was to oversee both studios.[14][15][16] While he had been approached by NBCUniversal to oversee both studios, he turned down the offer and later explained "I love the process of making films and working with artists. I don't think I'm particularly great at managing companies".[17]
On September 23, 2022, Illumination announced its hiring of former Netflix head of adult animation Mike Moon as senior creative advisor, and a new label led by Moon known as Moonlight, which will aim to "produce animated films that push beyond the family genre".[18][19]
Process
In a similar fashion to Sony Pictures Animation and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Illumination does not produce its films in-house where it is based in Santa Monica, but rather outsources the animation production of its films to other studios. Most of its films are animated by Illumination Studios Paris,[3] a subsidiary formed through the purchase of Mac Guff (which animated the first Despicable Me).[20][21] So far, the only Illumination film not to be animated by Illumination Studios Paris or Mac Guff was Hop, which was animated by Rhythm & Hues Studios.[22]
Not unlike Pixar, in its early days Illumination depended on a core group of directors and writers to create its films. The directors of Despicable Me, Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, also directed or co-directed Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Despicable Me 2, Minions, The Secret Life of Pets, and Despicable Me 3. Screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (who had written Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! for Meledandri at Fox) wrote or co-wrote Despicable Me, Hop, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Despicable Me 2, The Secret Life of Pets, and Despicable Me 3, while screenwriter Brian Lynch wrote or co-wrote Hop, Minions, and The Secret Life of Pets.
Illumination's films generally have a budget between $60–80 million. Meledandri prefers to keep Illumination adhering to a low-cost model, recognising that "strict cost controls and hit animated films are not mutually exclusive". In an industry where film expenses often exceed $100 million, Illumination's first two releases were completed with significantly lower budgets, considering Despicable Me's $69 million budget and Hop's $63 million budget. One way the company sustains a lean financial model is by employing cost-conscious animation techniques that lower the expenses and render times of its computer graphics.[23] To date, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the studio's most expensive film, with a $100 million budget.[24]
Filmography
Main article: List of Illumination productions
The studio's first film, Despicable Me, directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, was released on July 9, 2010, and was commercially successful, earning $56 million on its opening weekend, and going on to ticket sales of $251 million domestically and $543 million worldwide.[25][26] Illumination's second film was the live-action/CGI hybrid Hop. Directed by Tim Hill and released on April 1, 2011, the film had a $37 million opening, ending up with $108 million domestically and $183 million worldwide.[27] Hop was followed by an adaptation of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (also directed by Renaud), which debuted on March 2, 2012, earning $70 million on its opening weekend, and with eventual totals of $214 million in the US market and $348 million worldwide. The studio's first sequel, Despicable Me 2, again directed by Renaud and Coffin, opened in the United States on July 3, 2013, to a domestic five-day opening weekend of $142 million (and $82 million over the regular three-day frame), making it, at the time of its release, the biggest animated film to open on that frame.[28] The film would go on to earn $368 million domestically and $970 million worldwide,[29][30] becoming the second highest-grossing 2013 animated film and breaking a record as the most profitable Universal Pictures film in its 100-year history.[31] A spin-off of the Despicable Me franchise, titled Minions, directed by Coffin and newcomer Kyle Balda, was released on July 10, 2015[32] to a domestic opening weekend of $115 million.[33] The film would go on to gross $336 million domestically and $823 million overseas, amounting to a worldwide total of $1.159 billion, making it the highest-grossing animated film of 2015 and, at the time of its release, the second highest-grossing animated film of all time, behind Walt Disney Animation Studios' Frozen (2013).[34][35]
The Secret Life of Pets was released on July 8, 2016.[36] Directed by Renaud and Yarrow Cheney, the film would earn $104 million in its opening weekend, going on to gross $368 million domestically, and $875 million worldwide. Sing, a comedy written and directed by Garth Jennings, was released on December 21, 2016.[37] It was the first movie for the studio to have a Christmas release. The film would earn $56 million in its first 5 days, grossing $270 million stateside and $634 million worldwide. It also holds the record for the highest-grossing film not to ever be at No. 1 in its run. Despicable Me 3, which reunited Coffin and Balda as directors, was released on June 30, 2017, to a $75 million domestic opening weekend.[38] The film would then go on to gross $264 million domestically and $1.034 billion worldwide, making it the second film from the studio to cross the $1 billion mark, as well as highest-grossing animated film of 2017. At the time of its release, it also set a record for the highest theatre count ever with 4,536 theatres in its second week.[39] The film that followed was an adaptation of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, simply titled The Grinch, which was released on November 9, 2018, with Scott Mosier and Cheney as directors and featuring a screenplay by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow.[37] The film opened to $67 million in its first domestic weekend[40] and went on to earn $271 million stateside and $513 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time.[41] The Secret Life of Pets 2, again directed by Renaud, was released on June 7, 2019, to a domestic opening weekend of $47 million,[42] going on to gross $159 million stateside and $446 million worldwide, making less than half of its predecessor.[43]
It was followed by Sing 2, again directed by Jennings, which was released on December 22, 2021. Despite opening to a modest $41 million over a five-day weekend (and $23 million over the normal three-day frame),[44] the film would eventually become the highest-grossing animated film of 2021, as well as the highest-grossing animated film released during the , earning $163 million stateside and $408 million worldwide.[45] Minions: The Rise of Gru, directed by Balda, was released on July 1, 2022, after a delay of two years caused by the. The film earned $125 million stateside over the four-day July 4 weekend, a new record over said timeframe.[49] The film would go on to overtake Sing 2 as the highest-grossing animated film during the pandemic, with $369 million domestically and $939 million worldwide.[50][51]
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, an animated film based on the Mario video game franchise as a collaboration with Nintendo directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, was released on April 5, 2023.[52][17][53][54] The film debuted to a $146.4 million domestic opening weekend, holding several box office records including the highest opening weekend for a video game adaptation as well as the highest opening weekend for Illumination.[55][56] The film would go on to gross $574.9 million domestically and $1.36 billion worldwide, becoming the third Illumination film to cross the $1 billion mark, as well as the second highest-grossing film of 2023.[57][58] Migration, an original film directed by Benjamin Renner, was released on December 22, 2023.[59][60]
On May 19, 2011, Illumination announced that it would be working with Universal Pictures to create Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, a 3-D ride at Universal Parks & Resorts in Orlando, Hollywood, and Osaka.[61] The ride officially opened on July 2, 2012, in Orlando, in Hollywood on April 12, 2014, and in Osaka on April 21, 2017. In April 2019, it was announced they would collaborate again on the creation of The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!, a dark ride attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.[62][63] While its opening was scheduled for March 27, 2020, it was delayed until further notice due to the outbreak of in California.[64] It eventually opened on April 8, 2021.[65]
Future projects include Despicable Me 4 on July 3, 2024, and a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie on April 3, 2026.[66][67][59][68] Other films the studio has in development include Big Tree, a film based on an illustrated novel by Brian Selznick from an idea by Meledandri and Steven Spielberg,[69] The Secret Life of Pets 3,[70] Sing 3,[71] and an original animated film with frequent collaborator and musician Pharrell Williams that will be "made from scratch."[17]
In addition, two web short series are in development by Pierre Coffin: A Minions spin-off titled Who's Who, and an original series titled Bones Story. The shorts will be released on TikTok and subsequently on YouTube.[71]
Franchises
Title Films Shorts Release dates
Despicable Me 5 18 2010–present
The Secret Life of Pets 2 3 2016–present" (wikipedia.)
"Minions: The Rise of Gru, also known as Minions 2, is a 2022 American animated comedy film produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the sequel to Minions (2015), a prequel to Despicable Me (2010), and the fifth entry overall in the Despicable Me franchise. The film was directed by Kyle Balda, co-directed by Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val (in Ableson's feature directorial debut), and produced by Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy and Chris Renaud, from a screenplay written by Matthew Fogel,[6][7] and a story by Fogel and Brian Lynch.[8][7] It features Steve Carell reprising his role as Gru and Pierre Coffin as the Minions, along with Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Steve Coogan, and Julie Andrews reprising their respective roles as Dr. Nefario, Mr. Perkins, Silas Ramsbottom, and Gru's mother Marlena. New cast members include Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, and Alan Arkin. In the film, an eleven-year-old Gru plans to become a supervillain with the help of his Minions, which leads to a showdown with a malevolent team, the Vicious 6.
After being delayed for two years due to the , Minions: The Rise of Gru had its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 1. The film received generally positive reviews from critics; some deemed it an improvement over its predecessor, with praise earned for its score, animation, humor, voice performances (particularly Carell's),[9] and aesthetic, although its plot was criticized. It was also a commercial success, grossing over $940 million worldwide and making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2022.
Plot
In 1976, an eleven-year-old Gru dreams of becoming a supervillain, assisted by the Minions, whom he has hired to work for him. Gru is ecstatic when he receives an audition invitation from the Vicious 6, a supervillain team now led by Belle Bottom, who hope to find a new member to replace their founder, the supervillain Wild Knuckles, following their betrayal and attempted murder of Knuckles during a heist to steal the Zodiac Stone – a stone connected to the Chinese zodiac. Gru's interview goes poorly but, much to the outrage of the Vicious 6, he steals the stone and escapes with Minions Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, handing it to another Minion, Otto, for safekeeping.
At his basement lair, Gru is outraged that Otto has traded the zodiac stone for a pet rock, causing him to fire the Minions before going alone to find it. However, Knuckles kidnaps Gru before taking him to San Francisco and informs the Minions that if they do not give him the stone within 48 hours, Gru will be killed. Failing to locate the stone, Kevin, Stuart and Bob leave for San Francisco to rescue Gru, while Otto leaves in pursuit of a biker whom he realizes has the stone as a necklace. When they reach Knuckles' house, they are chased by his goons until Master Chow, a former Kung Fu teacher who now makes a living at an acupuncture clinic, rescues them by defeating the goons.
Chow teaches the Minions Kung Fu after they beg and, ending their training prematurely, go to Knuckles' home to rescue Gru. Meanwhile, Otto catches up to and befriends the biker at Death Valley, who gives the stone back and takes him to San Francisco. Gru begins to bond with Knuckles after the latter's goons quit on him, and later saves him from being eaten by crocodiles in his pool. Teaching Gru how to be a villain, the two rob the Bank of Evil. In the meantime, the Vicious 6, having realized that Knuckles is alive, destroy his house in an attempt to find him. Failing to do so, they head towards Chinatown, with Kevin, Stuart and Bob in pursuit.
Returning to his destroyed house, a distraught Knuckles laments his friends' betrayal and decides to give up villainy, sending Gru away. During a Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown, Otto and Gru find each other with the stone but are cornered by the Vicious 6, who in turn are confronted by Anti-Villain League agents. The Vicious 6 then use the stone to turn themselves into large superpowered versions of animals from the Zodiac and prepare to kill Gru by tying him to the hands of a clock tower to rip him apart. Kevin, Stuart, and Bob find Gru, but are turned into a rabbit, a rooster, and a goat, respectively. However, Knuckles returns and fights the Vicious 6 with the Minions. Encouraged by Chow's teaching, Kevin, Stuart, and Bob "find their inner beast" and battle the Vicious 6 while Otto saves Gru, but Knuckles gets badly burnt by Belle's dragon flames when trying to take the stone back. After Kevin, Stuart and Bob knock the Vicious 6 out, Gru uses the stone to turn them into rats. Congratulating the three Minions for saving his life, Gru reconciles and rehires the Minions and returns Stuart, Kevin and Bob back to normal.
The Vicious 6 are arrested, except Knuckles, who is hospitalized and seemingly succumbs to his injuries, while the stone is confiscated by the Anti-Villain League. At Knuckles' funeral, Gru gives a heartfelt eulogy but is overjoyed when it is revealed Knuckles faked his death. He and Gru later drive off with the Minions.
In a mid-credits scene, Gru attempts to hire Dr. Nefario in gratitude for an invention of his that helped him steal the stone. Nefario initially declines but changes his mind after Gru and the Minions beg, giving them a ride on a rocket-powered aircraft.
Voice cast
Steve Carell as Gru, a rising supervillain and the boss of the Minions[10][11]
Pierre Coffin as Kevin, Stuart, Bob, Otto and the rest of the Minions, Gru's yellow troublesome newly-hired henchmen[10][11][12]
Alan Arkin as Wild Knuckles, the former leader of the Vicious 6 who later becomes Gru's mentor[10]
Taraji P. Henson as Belle Bottom, a master thief and the newly-appointed leader of the Vicious 6[10]
Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow, an acupuncturist and Kung Fu fighter who helps the Minions on their quest[10]
Julie Andrews as Marlena Gru, Gru's mother[10]
Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, a scientist who runs a record store[10][11]
Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean-Clawed, a member of the Vicious 6 with a giant mechanical lobster claw for his right arm[10]
Dolph Lundgren as Svengeance, a member of the Vicious 6 who is a roller skater[10]
Danny Trejo as Stronghold, a member of the Vicious 6 with big metal hands[10]
Lucy Lawless as Nun-chuck, a member of the Vicious 6 who is a nun and wields nunchaku[10]
Additionally, Will Arnett and Steve Coogan reprise their respective voice roles as Mr. Perkins and Silas Ramsbottom from the main Despicable Me films.[13] Michael Beattie voices both the VNC announcer and Guru Rick. Jimmy O. Yang, Kevin Michael Richardson and John DiMaggio voice three of Wild Knuckles' goons.[14] RZA voices the biker who Otto befriends on his way to San Francisco.[10] Raymond S. Persi voices Brad.[14]
Production
Production and character designer Eric Guillon was ordered to unravel Gru's secrets once he started working on Despicable Me (2010) in 2007.[15] After the success of Minions (2015), the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2015, Screen Daily considered a sequel as "inevitable".[16][17] Universal Pictures was developing sequel ideas in August 2017,[18] and Guillon decided that these will explore Gru's early life.[15] Pierre Coffin (the Minions) and Steve Carell (Gru) both reprised their Despicable Me roles.[19] Carell was paid $12.5 million for his involvement.[20] Production of the film shifted to remote work during the , following the temporary closure of Illumination Studios Paris.[21] To incorporate 1970s culture and environment in the film, Wade Eastwood and Ric Meyers were hired as creative consultants while Flora Zhao joined in as a cultural consultant on Chinese culture. The film was officially completed on July 1, 2020.[22]
The film was dedicated in memory of animator Madeline Montero, who died during production of the film.
Music
Main article: Minions: The Rise of Gru (soundtrack)
The soundtrack album for the film was released on July 1, 2022, through Decca Records and Verve Label Group.[23] The Jack Antonoff-produced soundtrack consists of various contemporary artists covering famous funk, pop, and soul hits of the 1970s. "Turn Up the Sunshine" by Diana Ross and Tame Impala was released as the album's lead single on May 20, 2022.[24] It was followed by Kali Uchis's cover of "Desafinado" and St. Vincent's cover of "Funkytown".[25][26][27]
On July 8, 2022, the score from longtime Illumination composer Heitor Pereira was released with two versions of "Bad Moon Rising" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" being performed by Steve Carell and Pierre Coffin, both songs that were not in the original soundtrack. A new version of the "Despicable Me" theme song, by Pereira and Pharrell Williams, featuring a chorus of children was used in the film but not included in the score or the soundtrack.[28]
Marketing and release
Universal's marketing strategy entailed an active social media campaign, and worldwide tours and activations.[29] Promotional partners included CarMax, HelloFresh, IHOP, Levi's, Liberty Mutual, and McDonald's.[30] A trailer of Minions: The Rise of Gru was released in 2020, followed by another two in 2022. The first and third trailers featured "Sabotage" by Beastie Boys, and "Lose Yourself" by Eminem in the second. For "Sabotage", Britt Hayes of The A.V. Club highlighted its "primitive" use in the first trailer, while Adam Pockross of Syfy Wire elaborated that the song performed screaming voices in the third. Some commentators reasoned that "Lose Yourself" impacted the film's action scenes in the second trailer.[a] Deadline Hollywood reported Universal spent $140 million promoting The Rise of Gru,[3] and a total of $285 million on marketing, the biggest-ever campaign for a Despicable Me film.[30]
Minions: The Rise of Gru debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 13, 2022,[35] followed by a premiere on June 25, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.[36] The film was initially scheduled for release on July 3, 2020, but was postponed to July 2, 2021, and finally July 1, 2022. These shifts were reportedly made in response to the , which led to Illumination Mac Guff's temporary closure as the film was unfinished at that time.[b] The film was rumored to have been banned in Lebanon. While the reason for the ban has not been specified, users on social media speculate it was because the character Nun-chuck portrays nuns as evil.[41][42] The theatrical Chinese release of the film replaced the ending scene with a message stating that Wild Knuckles was arrested and sentenced to twenty years in prison, pursued his love of acting and started his own theater troupe, while Gru "returned to his family".[43][44]
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released Minions: The Rise of Gru for digital download on August 30, 2022; on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 6; and on Peacock on September 23.[45][46] Physical copies contain behind-the-scenes featurettes, character descriptions, an extended scene, outtakes, recreational activities, and short films Post Modern Minions and Minions and Monsters.[47] As part of an 18-month deal, it streamed on Peacock for four months, before moving to Netflix for another ten in January 2023, and returned on Peacock for the last four that November.[48] The Rise of Gru was the best-selling home-video release of September. Blu-ray accounted for 48 percent of its sales.[49] By the end of 2022, the physical release had grossed about $14 million.[50]
Reception
Box office
Minions: The Rise of Gru grossed $370.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $570.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $940.7 million.[4][5] It was the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2022.[51] Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $368 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it third on their list of 2022's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".[3] The Rise of Gru's box-office success was attributed to its release date near Independence Day. Its marketing was also cited, which brought back families to theaters.[c] According to Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian, the film was "perfectly executed" for family audiences, and Boxoffice Pro chief analyst Shawn Robbins elaborated this as a "pent-up demand" journey.[54]
In the United States and Canada, Minions: The Rise of Gru was initially projected to gross $70–80 million from 4,391 theaters over its four-day opening weekend.[55] After making $48.2 million on its first day (including an estimated $10.8 million from Thursday previews), the best for an animated film among the pandemic and of the Despicable Me franchise, estimates were raised to $129 million. It went on to debut to $107 million (and a four-day total of $123.1 million), topping the box office.[56][57] Its total set the Independence Day weekend record, surpassing Transformers: Dark of the Moon's $115.9 million in 2011.[2][30] The film made $46.1 million in its second weekend (a drop of 57%), finishing second behind newcomer Thor: Love and Thunder.[58] Minions: The Rise of Gru is the sixth highest-grossing film of 2022 in this region.[59]
The film opened in Australia a week before its U.S. release, debuting at $3.7 million.[60] It added another 60 international markets in its sophomore weekend and made $87.2 million. The combined first and second offshore weekends were 13% below Minions and 3% below Despicable Me 3 (2017). Four countries—Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Venezuela—had the biggest animation opening weekend of all time. The popular TikTok trend that accompanied its release (see below) was credited for Israel's record-breaking performance.[61] In its third international weekend, Minions: The Rise of Gru passed the $400 million worldwide mark after adding $56.4 million to its total. In France, it set records for the biggest Illumination animation opening day of all time, the third biggest animation opening day of all time, and the biggest opening (including previews) of 2022.[62] The film passed the $500 million worldwide mark in its fourth weekend,[63] $600 million worldwide by its fifth,[64] and $700 million worldwide by its sixth....#Gentleminions TikTok trend
A popular Internet meme involving groups of young adults dressed in suits like the character Gru attending the film and some dressing up like Minions with the tag #Gentleminions began spreading on TikTok almost immediately after the film's release. The meme originated with a group of Australian high schoolers.[78][79] It is usually accompanied by American rapper Yeat's song "Rich Minion", which was commissioned for the Cole Bennett-directed trailer of the film.[80][81] Large groups recorded themselves cheering, throwing bananas at the screen, and performing Gru's trademark steepled fingers gesture.[82][83] Several theaters in the United Kingdom banned groups of young men in formal attire from seeing the film due to their disruptive behavior during screenings.[84][85][86] The meme was also documented in the United States, Norway, Singapore,[84][87][88] and Israel.[89][90]
The substantial meme subculture around The Rise of Gru was noted by The Face to be similar to memes surrounding the superhero film Morbius, released earlier in 2022.[91] Both meme subcultures focused around a largely ironic appreciation for the supposed strengths of said film, often verging on the absurdist, but The Face noted that the interest in The Rise of Gru was largely based in genuine interest in the film, whereas the interest in Morbius was based solely in the latter's perceived lack of quality.[91]
The social media accounts for Universal Pictures, Illumination, and the franchise acknowledged the meme, with the latter two posting a video that depicted the Minions participating in the trend.[92][93][94]
PostTrak reported that 34% of The Rise of Gru audiences were between the ages of 13 and 17, an unusually high percentage for an animated film. Pamela McClintock of The Hollywood Reporter concluded that the results of the survey were a result of the Internet trend." (wikipedia.)
"Despicable Me 4 is a 2024 American animated comedy film produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures. It serves as the sequel to Despicable Me 3 (2017), the fourth main installment, and the sixth installment overall in the Despicable Me franchise. The film was directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Patrick Delage (in his feature directorial debut), produced by Chris Meledandri and Brett Hoffman, and written by Mike White and Ken Daurio. It stars the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Stephen Colbert, Steve Coogan, Sofía Vergara, Renaud, Madison Polan, Dana Gaier, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell.
Development on a fourth Despicable Me film began in September 2017. It was officially confirmed in February 2022, with Renaud, Delage, and White attached as director, co-director, and writer, respectively. Production was underway by June 2022. Most of the main voice cast was announced in January 2024, with Hoffman and Daurio revealed as co-producer and co-writer, respectively. Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams returned from previous installments to compose the score and write original songs and themes, respectively.
Despicable Me 4 premiered at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on June 9, 2024, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on July 3, 2024.
Premise
Following an escape from his incarceration, Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina seek revenge on Gru and his family, including his newborn son, Gru Jr., putting them into relocation for their protection, where they meet their new neighbors, the Prescotts and their daughter Poppy. In a way to even the odds, Gru and his minions ally with Poppy.[2]
Voice cast
Steve Carell as Gru/Chet Cunningham, a former supervillain turned Anti-Villain League agent; who is Margo, Edith, and Agnes' adopted father, the biological father of Gru Jr., and Lucy's husband
Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde/Blanche Cunningham, an Anti-Villain League agent, Gru's wife and adoptive mother to the 3 young girls (Margo, Edith, and Agnes) and Gru Jr.'s biological mother
Will Ferrell as Maxime Le Mal, a French-accented supervillain who seeks revenge on Gru and his family
Joey King as Poppy Prescott,[3][4] an aspiring supervillain who has admired Gru for a long time
Sofía Vergara as Valentina, Maxime's femme fatale girlfriend
Stephen Colbert as Perry Prescott, Poppy's father, Patsy's husband, and Gru's new neighbor[4]
Chloe Fineman as Patsy Prescott, Poppy's mother, Perry's wife, and Gru's new neighbor[4]
Miranda Cosgrove as Margo/Bree Cunningham, Gru and Lucy's oldest of their 3 adopted daughters
Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom, the previously-retired director of the Anti-Villain League
Pierre Coffin as the Minions, the yellow henchmen of Gru who later get jobs at the Anti-Villain League as agents
Dana Gaier as Edith/Blair Cunningham, Gru and Lucy's middle of 3 young daughters
Madison Polan as Agnes/Britney Cunningham, Gru and Lucy's youngest of 3 young daughters. Polan replaces Nev Scharrel from the third film.
Additionally, the film's director Chris Renaud has been cast in an undisclosed role.
Production
Development of Despicable Me 4 began in September 2017, with longtime Despicable Me and Illumination writers Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio writing early drafts of the script.[5] The film was officially confirmed in February 2022, with veteran Despicable Me director Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage, and Mike White attached as director, co-director, and writer, respectively, and a July 3, 2024 release date announced.[6][7] Production was underway by June 2022, with Steve Carell starting his voice recording after a "couple of sessions."[8]
In January 2024, it was announced that Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Pierre Coffin, and Steve Coogan would return to reprise their respective roles as Gru, Lucy Wilde, Margo, Edith, the Minions, and Silas Ramsbottom, while Will Ferrell, Joey King, Sofía Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Chloe Fineman, and Madison Polan (replacing Nev Scharrel) would join the voice cast, respectively voicing Maxime Le Mal, Poppy Prescott, Valentina, Perry Prescott, Patsy Prescott, and Agnes.[9][3] That same month, it was announced that The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) executive producer Brett Hoffman and Daurio had been added as co-producer and co-writer, respectively.[2]
Music
In March 2024, Heitor Pereira was announced to be composing the film's score, returning from the previous installments.[10] Pharrell Williams was also confirmed to be returning to co-compose the score with Pereira, as well as to write new songs.[11]
On May 8, Williams previewed a 30-second snippet of his original song "Double Life" for the film on his YouTube channel.[12] On June 14, 2024, Williams released the song as the first single from the Despicable Me 4 soundtrack.[13] The song has been interpreted as a diss track aimed at Canadian rapper Drake.[14][15] Writing for Uproxx, Derrick Rossignol observed that "the tune isn’t as general and movie-agnostic as something like "Happy", but it has a great groove and that Gru refrain is actually catchy as hell. This probably won’t be a world-changing single like "Happy", but it’s in the upper tier of kids movie soundtrack fare."[16]
Marketing
The first trailer for the film was released on January 28, 2024, during the 2023–24 NFL playoffs championship games.[17] The trailer features the songs "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses and "Maneater" by Hall & Oates, as well as in television showings, "Through the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce. CBR reported that the trailer showcased "the struggles of welcoming in a new member of the Gru family," and included the debut of Will Ferrell's Maxime Le Mal.[9] Screen Rant's Brennan Klein observed that Gru's tumultuous relationship with his son, Gru Jr., contrasted with the good relationship with his adopted daughters.[18] An additional trailer was revealed on February 11 during Super Bowl LVIII, being narrated by Jon Hamm, who previously voiced Herb Overkill in the 2015 spin-off film Minions, and featured cameos by Ferrell and Steve Carell. Ryan Gajewski of The Hollywood Reporter said the trailer had appeared to "tout the benefits of modern technology but feature strange images supposedly generated by AI," enjoying the Renaissance-era inspired pose of Ferrell and Carell in the trailer.[19] On April 10 at CinemaCon, Universal displayed a clip of Gru and Poppy trying to steal a honey badger.[20] Brennan Kline of Screen Rant appreciated that the clip solidified the "important element" of Gru's domestic family man status in the sequel.[21]
The second trailer was released on May 7, 2024.[22] Writing for TheWrap, Drew Taylor called the trailer "Minions-heavy", and pointed out one of Pharrell Williams' new original songs featured in the trailer.[23] Collider noted the "devastating consequences" of enlisting a small group of Minion volunteers for an experiment which gave them superpowers. Journalist Diego Peralta pointed out a sequence in which one of the superpowered Minions destroys a part of their base with laser vision, and said that villains Le Mal and Valentina "are more dangerous than any threat Gru has faced before."[24]
On June 8, 2024, Illumination released a parody teaser for the film in which Steve Carell announces the Megaverse, a parody of shared universes such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe by claiming that Illumination would release 100 years' worth of films, television series, and stage productions starring the Mega Minions.[25] Illumination also published a website for the fictitious Megaverse.[26] Some of the fake productions noted on the website include Mega Minions: The Tax Write-Off and an untitled Mega Minions spin-off series with a "Story to be determined based on rigorous market testing and ad hoc decision-making."[26] The stunt was praised for its lampooning of current Hollywood affairs such as the cancellation of Warner Bros. films like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme, the 2022 DCEU film Black Adam, as well as the mixed reception to many of Marvel's recent productions.[25]
Release
Theatrical
Despicable Me 4 premiered at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on June 9, 2024,[27] and made its French premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13.[28] The film is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on July 3.[6]
Home media
As part of Universal's deal with Netflix, the film will stream on Peacock for the first four months of the pay-TV window, before moving to Netflix for the next ten, and returning to Peacock for the remaining four.[29][30]
Reception
Box office projections
Variety projects the film to gross over $100 million in its five-day opening Fourth of July weekend." (wikipedia.)
"Minions (/ˈmɪnjənz/) are an all-male species of fictional yellow creatures that appear in Illumination's Despicable Me franchise. They are characterized by their childlike behavior and their language, which is largely unintelligible.[a]
The Minions serve as the official mascots for Illumination and have also been described by The New York Times as "corporate icons" for Comcast in the years since their 2013 purchase of Illumination's parent company NBCUniversal; similar to Mickey Mouse for The Walt Disney Company, Bugs Bunny for Warner Bros. Discovery, Woody Woodpecker for Universal Pictures, SpongeBob SquarePants for Paramount Global or Mario for Nintendo.
Kevin, Stuart, and Bob are three of the most familiar minions, who appear as stars in the film Minions (2015) and its sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022). Many other Minions are mentioned by name in the films and other media in the franchise. They were created by Eric Guillon, Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud.[2]
Characteristics
The Minions are small, yellow capsule-shaped creatures with round gray goggles. They are depicted as being roughly one-third to one-half the height of humans but they were later revealed to be 3 feet 7 inches (1.1 m) tall. They have one or two eyes, and their irises are almost always brown (except for Bob, who has one green and one brown eye). They have three fingers and toes per hand and foot, respectively. There appears to be no other difference between the two types beyond the number and color of eyes, and their height. They have no discernible noses but seem capable of smelling, as they are shown smelling fruit and are affected by the Fart Gun. They are also shown without ears but can hear and respond to sounds. Most Minions appear either bald or with a few wispy strands of black hair on their heads. After leaving their home country of Switzerland in favor of a new life in America during the late 1960s, their clothing consists of blue overalls emblazoned with Gru's logo, black rubber gloves, shoes, and goggles.
While shown as somewhat absent-minded and having very mischievous streaks, they also possess exceptional engineering abilities, being able to design and construct spaceships and playthings for Gru's adopted daughters, particularly the youngest, Agnes. Minions, the 2015 animated feature film, shows that they have existed since the beginning of life on Earth. Minions are biologically wired to seek out and serve villains - including notable fictional ones such as Count Dracula, and real-life historical figures like Napoleon - and when they have no "boss" to serve, the Minions become depressed and listless.[3] They are also shown to have a degree of invulnerability, as Kevin, Stuart and Bob are able to survive a European torture chamber without any injuries, even playing with the torture devices, and to survive being hit by dropped heavy objects. In the 2010 short film "Banana", the Minions are revealed to have an almost uncontrollable craving for fruit, especially bananas.
Language
The Minions speak in a fictional polyglot language, called Minionese, which is partly derived from other languages, including French, English, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Spanish, and German.[4][5][6] Although seemingly nonsensical, the English-sounding dialogue is dubbed differently for every country, in order to make the sounds somewhat recognizable.[7] They have common English-language names, such as Dave (one of the first known minions in the franchise), Kevin, Stuart, Bob (the lead trio in Minions and Minions: The Rise of Gru), Mel (the leader of the Minions in Despicable Me 3 after Gru refuses their request of him returning to being a supervillain), and Otto (the fourth lead Minion in Minions: The Rise of Gru).[8][9]
Derivatives
Tires recycled as Minion garden art in Brodalen, Sweden
Sky Shop in Manchester, England with Minions on the window
Since British media and telecommunications enterprise Sky Group was acquired by Comcast in 2018, Minions have been advertising mascots for Sky Broadband and decorations with themes of Minions can be seen in Sky's retail shops.
Since the release of the Despicable Me films, the Minions' popularity has been rising. The Minions have been regularly featured in cross-promotions for other Comcast/NBCUniversal properties, including Universal theme parks, NBC primetime TV series and an Xfinity remote control.[10]
"Minion versions" of the Simpson family appeared at the end of The Simpsons episode "Treehouse of Horror XXV", which aired on October 19, 2014.[11]
The Minions appeared in three episodes of Family Guy. In "Inside Family Guy", which aired on October 23, 2016, Peter Griffin gets to take part in his true passion of weaving sexually explicit tapestries featuring the Minions. In "Peter's Lost Youth", which aired on March 26, 2017, to look like a big spender while on a baseball fantasy camp weekend with Lois Griffin, Peter offers to loan her his Minions Discover card. In "Bri, Robot" which aired on February 10, 2019, Peter gives Brian Griffin a DVD copy of Minions 3 for his birthday, in which Gru has been replaced by Harvey Weinstein. This cuts to Harvey facing a Minion. Peter also asks for a Minions cake for his birthday but insists that it come from the store.
In 2015, the village of Minions, Cornwall in the United Kingdom built a road sign paid for by Universal Studios featuring Minions. In October of that year, they removed it due to safety concerns that resulted from people stopping their cars to take photos although villagers have campaigned to get the sign put back up in another location.[12][13]
On April Fool's Day 2016, Google created a button on its Gmail service that sent a "mic drop" along with a GIF image of a Minion.[14][15] However, the feature received backlash in which many people complained about accidentally sending the image during job searches which resulted in some people being dropped from job consideration or being fired. Google removed the feature not long after, citing those reasons as well as a bug that caused the image to be sent after hitting the regular send button.[16][17]
The Minions appeared in an advertisement for the Cinemark theater chain, in which several Minions try to change a lamp while another Minion mocks them. The mocking Minion drops the replacement lamp during one of his laughing fits so the others stick him in the socket so that his eye can serve as the lamp. The ad promoted the chain's claim that they had the brightest 3D projection system of any theater chain. At first, the clip played before showings of Despicable Me 2 (2013), but Cinemark uses the ad freely before any 3D film.
Three statues of Minions appear in Mortal Engines (2018), in which they are assumed to be idols of "ancient deities" from the time before the emergence of traction cities.[18]
Minion Land at Universal Studios Beijing.
In Brazil, Minions were used as a reference to nickname the most devoted followers of politician Jair Bolsonaro, called by supporters of the left, in an ironic and offensive tone, "bolsominions". In an April 2016 "Extra" website article,[19] journalist Felipe Pena compared Bolsonaro fans to Minions, saying that "they follow the leader, whom they call myth, and vent narcissistic repression by attacking the differences of groups they elect as rivals." Since then, the term has been widely used by the population in Brazilian and international media, across multiple languages, appearing in BBC,[20] The Guardian,[21] and Open Democracy[22] articles.
Voice actors
The Minions were voiced by Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, and Jemaine Clement in the first film. Coffin voiced Kevin, Tim, Bob, Mark, Phil, and Stuart, Renaud voiced Dave, and Clement voiced Jerry. Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud later reprised their roles in Despicable Me 2, while Coffin assumed sole duties in Minions (2015), Despicable Me 3 (2017), and Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022). In the 2010 video game, they are voiced by James Arnold Taylor.
Pierre Coffin (2010–present) (all films)
James Arnold Taylor (2010) (Despicable Me: The Game)
Chris Renaud (2010–2013) (Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2)
Jemaine Clement (2010, Jerry only) (Despicable Me)" (wikipedia.)