Fourteen years after the first film, Gru and the Minions return with “Despicable Me 4”. Everything you need to know about the latest film in the most lucrative animated franchise at the international box office.
14 years ago, spectators discovered Gru and his Minions for the first time in Despicable Me by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin. With $543 million collected at the international box office, Illumination studios and Universal quickly launched the sequel. Released in 2013, Despicable Me 2 managed to do better than the first opus and collected $970 million worldwide.
Birth of a successful saga
A spin-off on Minions and a sequel are then announced. Success was once again achieved since Minions (2015) grossed $1.159 billion and Despicable Me 3, released in 2017, also crossed the $1 billion mark. The lucrative animated saga therefore returns in 2022 with Minions 2: Once upon a time Gru, spin-off and prequel to the mother saga with a teenage Gru. The film was once again successful and grossed $940 million worldwide.
In total, the franchise has so far grossed $4.6 billion at the international box office, making it the highest-grossing animated saga. It therefore seems logical that Illumination would choose to continue the adventure with Despicable Me 4.
What is Despicable Me 4 about?
Directed by De Chris Renaud – already at work on the first two opuses and the animator Patrick Delage for whom this is the first production, this fourth film in the mother saga sees Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith and Agnès welcome the youngest of the family, Gru Junior. The toddler seems to have only one passion: making his father go crazy.
Illumination Studios Despicable Me 4
In this new adventure, Gru is confronted with a new enemy: Maxime Le Mal who, with the help of his girlfriend, the fatal Valentina, will force the whole family and the Minions to flee.
The feature film marks the return of adult Gru (we saw him as a teenager in Minions 2) after 7 years of absence. After adopting 3 girls, discovering love and meeting his brother Dru, the biggest villain in the universe will have to manage a baby who is determined not to make things easy for him.
Who is in the voice cast of the film?
On the vocal casting side, Steve Carell reprises the role of Gru in the original version, Gad Elmaleh also returns to service in the French version, Kristen Wiig dubs Lucy again while Audrey Lamy dubs the heroine in VF. Pierre Coffin once again performs the voice of all the Minions and Steve Coogan that of Silas De La Mollefesse, the director of the AVL.
Illumination Studios
Despicable Me 4
They are joined by newcomers: Will Ferrell, who lends his voice to Maxime Le Mal in the American version, Sofia Vergara who voices Valentina, as well as Joey King and Stephen Colbert in as yet undisclosed roles. The French voice casting of these characters has not yet been revealed.
When is Despicable Me 4 coming out?
Despicable Me 4 is scheduled for release in our cinemas on July 3, 2024, exactly two years after the release of Minions 2 and seven years after that of Despicable Me 3July 5, 2017.
The feature film from Illumination studios is one of the rare blockbusters to see at the cinema this summer with children (with Garfield: hero in spite of himself scheduled in cinemas on July 17). Thanks to this film, the saga should quickly cross the $5 billion mark at the box office.