Future DESPICABLE ME Movies Might Age Up These Characters
By Movieguide® Contributor
DESPICABLE ME director Chris Renaud says the show must go on — or in this case — everyone’s favorite Minion-filled movie franchise.
“Box office debut projections for DESPICABLE ME 4 confirm its story is far from over; the franchise already spawned three sequels and two prequels, not to mention sundry merchandise of Minions collectibles,” Comic Book Resources said July 5. “Entertainment Weekly reports that the latest installment could make up to $120 over the weekend, making it one of the most successful films of 2024.”
Renaud believes the movie’s success is due to its range of characters, which features a grouchy villain, Gru, his four mischievous kids and a host of unique, funny creatures called Minions.
“I think that the world of the characters lends itself to multiple stories because they’re human, they’re very relatable,” Renaud said. “I think if you have animals or mystical creatures, it can be a bit more limiting because there’s only a certain amount of things you can really dive into. And certain things, whether it’s really breaking the format and saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to be 50 years in the future,’ there’s definitely still opportunities.”
In DESPICABLE ME 4, Gru just added little Gru, Jr. to his family. But Renaud says future movies may feature Gru’s kids all grown up.
“We have so many characters at this point in this world that, again, decisions have to be made,” he said. “So aging them up in this particular film, then it becomes even more of an unanswered question as to what’s going on in their lives. But I don’t think that precludes us from doing something where we set a movie 20 years in the future and say, oh my gosh, Gru Jr. and Edith have now inherited dad’s villain business, or whatever. I think we can go anywhere we want.”
The first three DESPICABLE ME movies have earned Teddy Bear Awards® and DESPICABLE ME 4 earned a +1 review from Movieguide®. Part of the review reads:
DESPICABLE ME 4 opens with Gru and three minions traveling to Gru’s old School of Villainy to capture Maxime Le Mal. With help from the Anti-Villain League, Gru captures Maxime, who’s transformed himself into a human-sized cockroach with superpowers. However, Maxime escapes from prison and vows to track down Gru and his family. So, Gru and his family go into witness protection. Gru and his family still aren’t safe. The young teenage girl next door, Poppy, recognizes Gru. She wants to be a villain and blackmails him into helping her steal the School of Villainy’s mascot, a mean honey badger. The heist exposes the family’s secret location and endangers his infant son.
DESPICABLE ME 4 is often hilarious. It focuses a lot on the comical chaos that the minions bring. DESPICABLE ME 4 has a strong moral, pro-family worldview. Gru protects his family and must save his son from the villain. Also, little Agnes refuses to tell a lie. However, much of the humor focuses on the comical slapstick chaos that the minions cause. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children.
In an interview with Variety, Renaud teased that DESPICABLE ME 4’s villain, Maxime Le Mal, may come back in a sequel.
“If we come up with a good story and it feels like we can cover some fresh territory, then certainly it’s possible,” he said.
Screen Rant notes that it could be a while until the next movie. DESPICABLE ME 4 had been planned since 2017, was announced in 2022 and didn’t come out until this year.
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