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This August, Netflix is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated next chapter of the worldwide hit series Wednesday to the much-awaited murder mystery film The Thursday Murder Club. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Netflix next month and have an 80% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the eight best films that are coming to Netflix in August 2025 with an 80% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Dazed and Confused (August 1) Rt Score: 94% Credit – Gramercy Pictures

Dazed and Confused is a coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by Richard Linklater. The 1993 film is set in the 1970s in Austin, Texas, and it revolves around a group of teenagers on their last day of high school as they try to attend a party at the local pool.

Netflix viewers have chosen their favorite movie of 2025, and it’s not a new original film or a serious drama.

According to Nielsen, the most-watched movie this year is Despicable Me 4. This family-friendly animated film has beaten everything else on the platform so far.

Even though 2025 has had some popular releases like Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and people are waiting for Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2, neither of those took the top spot. Instead, people kept coming back to Gru and his Minions.

Nielsen

Despicable Me 4 came out in 2024 and was made by Universal Pictures and Illumination. Chris Renaud directed the film, with Patrick Delage as co-director. The writers were Mike White and Ken Daurio.

Steve Carell once again voices Gru, alongside Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Miranda Cosgrove, Joey King, Stephen Colbert, Sofía Vergara, and Will Ferrell. In this movie, Gru has to move his...

The most-watched movie on Netflix in 2025 has been revealed, and it’s probably not what many people expected. According to the latest numbers from Nielsen, the film that grabbed the attention of Netflix viewers this year wasn’t a new original movie or a serious drama. Instead, it was a family-friendly animated sequel: Despicable Me 4.

Despite the many popular films released this year, including the return of Wallace & Gromit in Vengeance Most Fowl and the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2, it’s the fourth film in the Despicable Me series that topped the streaming charts. Released in 2024, Despicable Me 4 continues the adventures of Gru and his chaotic Minions.

Despicable Me 4 comes from Universal Pictures and Illumination and is directed by Chris Renaud, with Patrick Delage working as co-director.

The film was written by Mike White and Ken Daurio, and produced by Chris Meledandri and Brett Hoffman. Steve Carell...

So Close, Yet Not Quite: 5 Movies That Nearly Made Box Office History With $1 Billion Grosses ( Photo Credit – Jio Hotstar; Facebook )

Crossing $1 billion at the global box office is one of cinema’s most elite milestones, symbolic of both critical acclaim and widespread audience appeal. For many studios, it’s a crown jewel target. Yet a handful of films have fallen just short of that mark, missing it by mere millions despite strong runs, glowing reviews, and cultural relevance.

These films did nearly everything right, massive worldwide appeal, strong legs at the box office, even awards recognition, but still ended up a few seats shy of the billion-dollar summit. Some were cut short by release timing, others by currency fluctuations or studio decisions to pull them from theatres too soon. Here are five movies that almost made it to the $1B club, ranked by their final global gross, as per Box office mojo.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning China Box Office: On Track To Beat Despicable Me 4 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning has completed four weeks at the box office in China. Tom Cruise’s film also entered the top 20 Hollywood highest-grossers post-covid list in China after beating The Croods: A New Age and further solidified its spot by surpassing Soul. It is now aiming for Despicable Me 4’s collection at the box office in China. Scroll below for deets.

Today, the film will beat Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning‘s box office haul in North America, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film in the franchise. Mission: Impossible 8 is still not out of danger, as it has slowed down with the wave of new movies. Therefore, the movie is still on the losing side.

How much has the film earned in 22 days at the box office in China?...

Animated movies have long been crowd-pleasers, working with audiences of all ages. This can, perhaps, be attributed to the freedom that comes with the medium. With the genre’s history dating back to the late 1800s, it’s fascinating to see how animation has evolved from short, silent films to this billion-dollar culture machine.

A still from 2009’s Up | Credits: Walt Disney

While box office data began to be tracked in the 1920s, it wasn’t until the late 20th and early 21st centuries that animated films began breaking financial records. Today, a select group of these films has achieved rather extraordinary success, capturing the hearts (and wallets) of millions worldwide.

Let’s count down the animated movies that have made history, starting at number thirteen and working our way to the champion of the billion-dollar club. (You never know who overtakes them next).

Zootopia (2016)

Zootopia is a funny film with a big message.

Despicable Me 4 Ott Verdict (Week 1)( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Despicable Me 4 might have beaten Venom 3 at the worldwide box office but got axed by Tom Hardy’s movie during its debut week on Netflix. The 4th film is one of the biggest hits of 2024 which has been finally made available for free. Keep scrolling for the deets.

Besides this 4th movie, Despicable Me 3 and Minions have also occupied spots in the top five of the weekly top 10 global list. However, it got beaten by Venom: The Last Dance, probably because it started streaming a few days after the Sony movie. The 2024 animated movie features the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Stephen Colbert, Sofía Vergara, Steve Coogan, Renaud, Madison Polan, Dana Gaier, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell.

For the unversed, Despicable Me 4 premiered on Netflix on February 28, three days after Venom...

Despicable Me is already the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time based on its box office gross. Now, the series is also establishing its streaming dominance.

The franchise, which debuted in 2010, has since seen Gru's Minions branch out with their own films. With movies in the original series and two Minion-led spinoffs, the franchise has been a major hit, passing the four Shrek films and its two Puss in Boots spinoffs at the box office. Per Tudum, Despicable Me also beat Shrek on streaming, taking over the charts globally for the week between Feb. 17 and 23.

RelatedShrek 5 Casts Zendaya in Major Role

DreamWorks Animation announces the main voice cast for Shrek 5 and it includes Zendaya in a major role.

Just recently, the DreamWorks Adaptations Shrek franchise took over streaming with several installments ahead of the highly anticipated Shrek 5. The first three films stayed in the global charts for two weeks.

Deadline (via Toonado.com) has learned that Shrek 5 is now set to open on Wednesday, December 23, 2026. The long-awaited sequel had originally been scheduled for July 1, 2026, so while this delay isn't too big, those extra five months are going to sting for impatient Shrek fans.

On the plus side, Minions 3 has shifted from June 30, 2027, to that July 1 slot. That's a huge jump forward and an indication work on the movie must be progressing well.

It's also been revealed that an untitled Illumination event movie has moved from March 19, 2027 to Minions 3's vacant June date.

Shrek 5 is being released to coincide with DreamWorks' 25th anniversary, with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz all set to reprise their respective roles as Shrek, Donkey and Fiona. Shrek franchise veterans Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon will be at the movie's helm.

Dorhn worked on the second and third movies as...

Universal Pictures is making exciting changes to its animation release schedule, giving fans something to look forward to from two beloved franchises.

DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 5 is now set to hit theaters on December 23, 2026, moving from its original summer release date of July 1, 2026. The holiday release will align perfectly with the franchise’s 25th anniversary, bringing back the voices of Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Fiona.

Directed by longtime franchise contributors Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon, the movie will also feature Brad Ableson as co-director. Producers include Gina Shay and Chris Meledandri, who are known for their work on other successful animated projects like Trolls and Minions.

Since its debut in 2001, the Shrek franchise has earned over $2.9 billion globally and has become a cultural phenomenon, spawning musicals, theme park attractions, and even a global touring show. The last installment, Shrek Forever After,...

Universal Pictures changed its animation schedule on Friday by moving the release dates for two of its most popular franchises. ‘Minions 3’ will come out earlier than planned, and ‘Shrek 5′ has been pushed back to the winter holidays of 2026.

The intended release date for “Minions 3” was June 30, 2027, but it will now be July 1, 2026. This move puts it during the busy Independence Day weekend. The choice came after the huge success of the Despicable Me franchise. It has made over $5 billion at the box office worldwide, making it the highest-grossing animated film series ever.

The creative people of the first two films will return to the third Minions film. You can count on Pierre Coffin to return as the movie’s director and to voice the famous yellow figures. Brian Lynch wrote the script. He is known for writing “The Secret Life of Pets.” The movie is also being worked...

Universal Pictures and Illumination are moving up the release date on the hotly-anticipated Minions 3.

Per Deadline, Universal Pictures has officially changed the premieres of numerous upcoming titles, with Minions 3 being moved up from its original release date of June 30, 2027 all the way up to July 1, 2026. That same spot was previously intended as the release date for Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation's Shrek 5, which has been moved to a release date of December 23, 2026, instead.

Related Wicked Breaks Yet Another Record for Universal With Digital Release

Jon M. Chu's Wicked is breaking more records for Universal following its release on digital platforms last week.

Spun out of the Despicable Me franchise, the first Minions film was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda from a script written by Bryan Lynch. The Minions prequel series not only gave fans their first true insight into the origins of Despicable Me's diminutive yellow mascots,...

After the previous installment in the spinoff series pushed the franchise to a major financial milestone, Minions 3 is getting an earlier release date.

The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that Universal is shifting some of its upcoming release calendar around. One such movie getting a new release date is Minions 3, with the Despicable Me threequel spinoff now set for a July 1, 2026 date, taking over the slot from Shrek 5, which is now set for December 23 that same year. This also puts Minions 3 in theaters nearly a full year early, having originally been set for a June 30, 2027 release date.

Developing...

Source: THR

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Despicable Me

Gru, a villain with ambitions to steal the moon, adopts three orphaned girls to aid his scheme. Unexpectedly, he finds himself growing attached to them, which complicates his plans. As Gru...

You’ll have to wait a little longer to learn if all that glitters is gold.

Universal has announced that DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek 5” will be moving from July 1, 2026, to Dec. 23, 2026. In its place, Universal will open Illumination’s “Minions 3,” which was previously supposed to come out a year later. That’s the kind of chaotic scheduling a minion would really embrace.

Additionally, an untitled Illumination film has moved from March 19, 2027 to June 30, 2027 (the previous “Minions 3” date).

“Shrek 5” sees Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz returning to their iconic roles. The movie will release as part of the franchise’s 25th anniversary. The new movie will be directed by the previously announced Walt Dohrn and the newly announced Conrad Vernon, both veterans of the franchise. Dohrn worked on the second and third “Shrek” films as a writer and on the fourth film as head of story.

Universal Pictures is adjusting its movie release calendar for upcoming titles from two venerable animation franchises.

The studio announced Friday that DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 5 is now set for release on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2026, after previously having been dated for July 1, 2026. Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon are directing Shrek 5 with Brad Ableson as co-director. Gina Shay and Chris Meledandri produce the film that sees the return of voice stars Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey) and Cameron Diaz (Fiona).

In a twinned move, Minions 3 from Illumination is now set to hit theaters on July 1, 2026, moving up from its previously planned release date of June 30, 2027. Pierre Coffin, who directed the first three Despicable Me films and the first Minions spinoff movie, is helming Minions 3 from a script from Brian Lynch. Coffin voices the yellow mischief-makers that were introduced as sidekicks to former supervillain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) in the 2010 title Despicable Me.

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 5 will now open on Wednesday, December 23, 2026, instead of July 1 next year.

At the same time, the studio said Friday it is moving up Illumination’s Minions 3 from June 30, 2027 to Shrek 5‘s previous July 2026 date. That’s because the Minions and Gru have ruled the Independence Day frame for quite some time, most recently with Despicable Me 4 minting a $230M global opening last summer.

Another shift going on at Universal: an untitled Illumination event movie will move from March 19, 2027 to Wednesday June 30, 2027.

Shrek 5 is timed to Dwa’s 25th anniversary. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz as reported are reprising their roles as Shrek, Donkey and Fiona, respectively. Directors are Shrek franchise veterans Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon. Dohrn (Trolls franchise) worked on the second and third Shrek films as a writer and artist and as Head...

Shrek and the Minions will both be on the big screen in 2026.

Universal Pictures announced Friday that the highly-anticipated animated movies are swapping their theatrical release dates, with DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek 5” pushing back from July 1, 2026 to Wednesday, Dec. 23, while Illumination’s “Minions 3” moves into that summer 2026 window from its planned June 30, 2027 date.

Universal has also shifted the release of an untitled Illumination event film from March 19, 2027 to the June date.

While December 2026 might seem far, far away, “Shrek 5” arrives in time for the franchise’s 25th anniversary and marks the grand return of original “Shrek” stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz to voice Shrek, Donkey and Fiona.

Beginning with 2001’s “Shrek” (which won the first Oscar for best animated feature), the four “Shrek” films have earned more than $2.9 billion worldwide, spawning a global live-touring show and an award-winning Broadway musical that earned eight Tony nominations and 12 Drama Desk nominations,...

Moana 2 Worldwide Box Office: Set To Surpass Despicable Me 4(Photo Credit – Instagram)

Moana 2 is catching up with the global haul of Despicable Me 4 and will soon be the #3 biggest film of 2024. It has surpassed a huge milestone at the worldwide box office. It has also beaten Wicked at the domestic box office chart. Scroll below for the deets.

Despicable Me 4 is part of the Despicable Me franchise, which began in 2010 and is the highest-grossing animated franchise. The franchise crossed the $5 billion mark after the release of the 4th film last year. It was directed by Chris Renaud and is the third highest-grossing film of 2024. Steve Carell returned as the voice of Gru. The cast featured Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Sofía Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Renaud, Madison Polan, Dana Gaier, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell.

Despicable Me 4 collected $361 million at the US box office and $608.1 million overseas.

Despicable Me Films Ranked At The Worldwide Box Office( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Despicable Me 4 kept the theatres busy in 2024, and although it was predicted to cross the $1 billion mark, it fell short of that. However, it was still a huge success and one of the top 5 highest-grossing films of last year. However, is it the biggest film in the main franchise? Let’s find out!

About the Franchise –

The franchise was created by Sergio Pablos, Cinco Paul, and Ken Daurio. The films are produced by Illumination and distributed by its parent company, Universal Pictures. The first film came out in 2010, and it was directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin. Meanwhile, the fourth film has only been directed by Chris Renaud. There are four films in the Despicable Me film series and two prequel series, Minions and Minions: The Rise of Gru. However, we will only rank the Despicable Me films.

Moana 2 Box Office (North America): Set To Beat Despicable Me 4 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Moana 2 recently crossed the $350 million mark at the US box office and is now set to achieve another remarkable feat. It inches closer to the domestic haul of this year’s blockbuster movie Despicable Me 4, which was also an animated sequel. The Disney sequel is expected to cross the mark soon before this weekend. Scroll below for the deets.

Despicable Me 4 was released in July this year and was directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage. The voice cast featured Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Sofía Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Renaud, Madison Polan, Dana Gaier, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell. It collected $361 million in the US and $608.18 million internationally; thus, the film’s global total is $969.18 million. The movie was predicted to cross the $1 billion mark, but it failed to do so.

The third installment in Illumination's Despicable Me franchise will drop on Tubi in the New Year. Despicable Me 3 (2017), starring Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig, will stream for free starting Jan. 1, 2025.

In the threequel, which earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office, Gru, voiced by Carell, meets his long-lost twin brother, Dru (also voiced by Carell), who is pretty much the opposite of Gru with his charming and cheerful personality. Together, they decide to team up to take down the villain, Balthazar Bratt (voiced by South Park’s Trey Parker), a former child star from the 1980s seeking revenge on the world.

In its review of Despicable Me 3, Cbr said the movie had no shortage of plot, but it tends to leap from one topic to the next with a “hyperactive whimsy” so that even those who are easily distracted will not be bored with the film.

Though it was founded less than 20 years ago, Illumination has managed to produce some of the biggest animated films of the 21st century. From Despicable Me to Sing, these franchises have released a wealth of spin-off content and merchandise, exemplifying the lucrative nature of this production company. But the company's success doesn't stop there. Illumination is gearing up to release several elusive sequels in the next two years, all of which are expected to be box-office hits.

Alongside these box-office statistics, Illumination has managed to secure an army of avid fans. Though the company mostly aims its films toward children, adults can also appreciate its ability to captivate audiences. As such, it seems that Illumination is set to defeat its surrounding competition as it extends its growing catalog of colorful films.

The Third Installment Was the Weakest of Them All Despicable Me 3

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After the roaring success of Despicable Me...

Bringing the adorable little minions into the world of animation was probably one of the most genius moves to have come out of the industry. The moment they landed on our screens, they triggered something we like to call a ‘Minion Takeover.’ The world couldn’t stop talking about them and rightly so. Steve Carell plays the role of Gru in the franchise and honestly, there couldn’t have been a better man to voice the grouchy protagonist.

Steve Carell in a still from The Office | Credits: NBC

While Steve Carell has stuck with the franchise since 2010, he once admitted that he had no idea what minions were supposed to be when the yellow creatures were first described to him. Regardless, he went on to nail the role and loved every bit of it.

Steve Carell’s First Impression of the Minions Despicable Me (2010) | Credits: Illumination Entertainment

We first came...

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2024 has been a great year so far, with brilliant animated films released this year. While the year started out slow, but after Inside Out 2 came out in theaters and broke every conceivable record, it was off to the races. We compiled a list of the best animated films we could find that came out this year. So, rest up gather your family for most of these films, and enjoy these best-animated films of 2024.

Transformers One (Paramount+ & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Paramount Pictures

Transformers One is an animated sci-fi action film directed by Josh Cooley from a screenplay co-written by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari. Based on the Transformers action figures by Hasbro, the 2024 film follows the origin stories of Optimus Prime and Megatron who were once friends before turning into each others’ arch nemesis.

Despicable Me 4 is now streaming, and there are a variety of reasons that it is worth watching. The 2024 movie premiered in theaters on July 3. Its debut was followed by a VOD premiere on August 6, which was less than halfway through its landmark run that has led it to become the third highest-grossing movie of the year so far behind Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2 (which is the highest-grossing animated movie of all time). However, the sequel has not been available on any free or subscription streaming platforms until now.

Everything kicked off in 2010 with the original Despicable Me, which introduced Gru (Steve Carell), his adopted daughters, and the Minions to the world. It became the ninth highest-grossing movie of that year, spawning a sprawling franchise that now includes four installments in the flagship series, two installments in the Minions spinoff franchise, the upcoming Minions 3, a multitude of short films,...

The hit sequel Despicable Me 4 is set to start streaming on Peacock just in time for the Halloween holiday. The movie's streaming arrival comes after having tremendous success in theaters.

Peacock has officially announced that Despicable Me 4 will start streaming on Oct. 31, 2024. During its run in theaters, Despicable Me 4 helped push the franchise over the $5 billion mark at the global box office. This marked the first time any animated franchise had reached that goal. The previous installments of the movie series, Despicable Me 1, 2 & 3, will also be streaming exclusively on Peacock.

Related 20 Best Gru Quotes In The Minions Movies, Ranked

While Despicable Me is most notable for its odd yellow creatures, the franchise's most memorable quotes all belong to Steve Carell's Felonious Gru.

The official description for Despicable Me 4 reads, "The worlds favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain-League-agent, Gru, returns for a bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illuminations Despicable Me 4. Gru,...

It’s going to be a very despicable Halloween this year. Get your yellow face paint and overalls ready, because Universal and Illumination’s “Despicable Me 4” is streaming on Peacock on October 31.

After releasing in theaters over the summer on July 3, the four-quel made $360.8 million domestically and $593.3 million internationally for a worldwide total of $954.1 million. The entire “Despicable Me” series became the first animated franchise to cross $5 billion at the global box office. All four movies, plus the “Minions” spinoffs, are available to stream on Peacock.

The cast includes Steve Carell as the lovable supervillain Gru, Kristen Wiig as Gru’s wife Lucy Wilde, Pierre Coffin as the voice of Gru’s hyperactive minions, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Stephen Colbert, Sofía Vergara, Dana Gaier, Will Ferrell and more.

The logline for the fourth animated feature explains, “The world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain-League-agent, Gru, returns for a bold new era of...

Despicable Me 4 now has a streaming release date after dominating in theaters this summer. Directed by Chris Renaud, the fourth installment in the popular Despicable Me franchise follows Gru (Steve Carell) as he faces off against new rival Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) while also dealing with the arrival of the baby Gru Jr. Reviews for Despicable Me 4 were mixed from critics, but the film, which also features voice acting from Kristen Wiig, Sofa Vergara, and Joey King, was a box office success, grossing over $953 million worldwide.

ComicBook.com now reveals that Despicable Me 4 will start streaming on Peacock on October 31, meaning audiences still have about a month to wait. This streaming release date comes nearly two months after the film first became available on VOD. The film will be joining both Despicable Me (2010) and Despicable Me 2 (2013) on Peacock, with Despicable Me 3 (2017) streaming instead on Fubo.

The Despicable Me franchise has featured many iterations of minions over the past decade. The minions were first introduced in 2010 in the series' first film, Despicable Me. Since then, the Despicable Me and Minions franchise has further developed the lovable yellow characters, making them synonymous with the series. The minions went from henchmen to protagonists. There have been many villains throughout the Despicable Me series, with the Minions serving or helping to arrest several of them.

The reach of the minions goes beyond the series, with the extended Minionese language, while the minions themselves are voiced by the franchise co-director, Pierre Coffin. They have also been incorporated into many other franchises and their studio, Illumination's, branding. While they can be divisive at times, the minions have become quotable and postable representations of the franchise, helping to gross billions of dollars. Across the Despicable Me series, the minions have taken many forms for audiences to enjoy.

Since the release of Despicable Me, Gru's (Steve Carell) cute yet mischievous 'Minions' (voiced by Pierre Coffin) have become a household staple worldwide. Due to the popularity of the characters, it wasn't long until the Minions got their own movie titled Minions in 2015, introducing three fan-favorites; Kevin, Stuart and Bob. Each has different personality traits, making them adored by viewers, from Kevin's serious, protective nature, to Stuart's laid back, cool demeanor, and Bob's cute, innocent naivety. The excessive popularity surrounding the characters paints the question of their whereabouts in the latest installment of the franchise, Despicable Me 4.

Although audience members are upset by the apparent absence of the characters, there are many reasons that explain their lack of screen time in Despicable Me 4. The complicated timelines of the Despicable Me and Minions films possibly played a role, as there's around a 50-year gap between the two timelines,...

Despite receiving some mixed reviews, Despicable Me 4 was a box office hit. The franchise's continued success is largely due to the popularity of the Minions, whose iconic language has been entertaining fans since the first film debuted in 2010.

Speaking to ComicBookMovie, director Chris Renaud revealed what goes into creating the words and phrases that make up Minionese. "You know, what's fun about it [is] it's not just gibberish," he explained. "There's an element of it, of recognizing the word, you know, and so we'll go back to [Pierre Coffin] and say, 'Can you come up with something better for like, I'll give you an example, when Mega Dave jumps off the roof.' I can't even remember - Oh, he had a yell. It's just a generic yell, which is pretty funny. And then, we went back to Pierre looking for more laughs, and as we're always trying to pump it up.

Despicable Me 4 is now available on Digital HD and to mark the occasion, we were able to catch up with director Chris Renaud to talk about the latest blockbuster entry in Illumination's fan-favorite animated franchise.

The fourth installment sees Gru square off against a new nemesis named Maxime Le Mal, and in our extensive conversation, we talk about the reunion of former Anchorman co-stars Steve Carell and Will Ferrell, as well as a number of other things including the introduction of the Mega Minions, the franchise's lasting power, the possibility of aging up characters, and a whole lot more.

Renaud's past credits include Despicable Me, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Despicable Me 2, The Secret Life of Pets, and The Secret Life of Pets 2. He also served as a producer on Minions, Despicable Me 3, The Grinch, and Minions: The Rise of Gru.

The film's full cast featured Steve Carell,...

Because of its current dominance in the world of kiddie entertainment, it may take a moment's reflection to recall that Chris Renaud's and Pierre Coffin's 2010 animated film "Despicable Me" once felt the slightest bit subversive. The main character of "Despicable Me" was the Eastern European supervillain Gru (Steve Carell) who aimed to commit visible acts of spiteful villainy. His latest plan was to steal the moon out of the sky, merely for the infamy it would garner him. 

"Despicable Me" takes place in a world that's overrun by villains, thieves, and superpowered monster people, but is seemingly absent of heroes. It won't be until later sequels that a crime-fighting Mi-6-type organization would come into play. Later still, Gru would renounce his villainy and become a dippy suburban dad to a trio of precocious girls. In "Despicable Me 4," Gru also has a wife and an infant son.

(from left) Gru Jr., Gru (Steve Carell), Poppy Prescott (Joey King) and Minions (Pierre Coffin) in Despicable Me 4, directed by Chris Renaud. Photo Credit: Illumination & Universal Pictures It’s been a whirlwind year for Joey King. From the charming Netflix rom-com A Family Affair to the poignant Hulu series We Were the Lucky Ones, she’s been showcasing her impressive range. Now, she’s adding another feather to her cap by having joined one of the biggest animated franchises of all time: Despicable Me. A longtime fan of the series, King is thrilled to lend her voice to the latest installment. She’s captivated by the elements that make the franchise so enduring – the clever writing, the heartwarming humor that resonates with both children and adults, and the lovable characters that have become household names. (Click on the media bar below to hear Joey King) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com...

Chris Renaud, the director of Despicable Me 4, has expressed his reluctance towards the idea of adapting the beloved animated franchise into a live-action format. Having directed the first two installments in the Despicable Me franchise and returned for the fourth, Renaud has been a crucial figure in shaping the series. He also served as a producer for 2015s Minions and 2022s Minions: The Rise of Gru.

In a recent interview with Film Hounds magazine, Renaud was asked about the possibility of a live-action adaptation of the Minions. His response was immediate and unequivocal.

God, I hope not. Thats my answer.

Renaud elaborated on his stance, explaining that certain stories and scenes are best told through a singular medium, and it is often better to maintain that medium to preserve the essence of the narrative.

I mean if there were conversations [about live-action remakes], I havent been privy to them. But for me,...

Despicable Me director Chris Renaud opens up about the future he hopes to avoid for the franchise.

Per Deadline, Renaud was asked about the possibility of a live-action feature film featuring the Despicable Me franchise's instantly iconic Minions. "God, I hope not. That's my answer," Renaud responded quite simply. Renaud went on to note that he had no knowledge of such a concept being taken seriously by either Illumination or Universal Pictures, saying, "I mean if there were conversations, I haven't been privy to them. But for me, what defines the world is that it is animated, and it allows us to get away with what we get away with."

Related Everything You Need To Know About Despicable Me 4

Despicable Me 4 is set to continue the famous Minions franchise, but what can audiences expect from this latest installment of villainous chaos?

Renaud has been with the franchise from the very beginning,...

'Despicable Me' director Chris Renaud has ruled out a live-action Minions movie.The 57-year-old filmmaker and voice actor - who also voiced the Minions in the blockbuster Illumination franchise - insists the films should stay in the animated world.Asked if it's something he'd want to do, he told Film Hounds magazine: “God, I hope not. That’s my answer.“I mean if there were conversations like that, I haven’t been privy to them. But for me, what defines the world is that it is animated, and it allows us to get away with what we get away with. Like locking a minion in the vending machine, or you know, blowing up Gru (Steve Carell) when he attacks Vector (Jason Segel). These are really cartoon ideas, like what would have been in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.”Insisting it's his personal view, he added: “I think it just...

Despicable Me director Chris Renaud has zero plans for a live-action Minions movie, and he hopes to keep it that way.

The filmmaker was recently asked in an interview with Film Hounds magazine if he was ever interested in seeing the Minions make the jump from animation to live-action, given Disney’s success with it.

“God, I hope not. That’s my answer,” Renaud said in response. “I mean if there were conversations like that, I haven’t been privy to them. But for me, what defines the world is that it is animated and it allows us to get away with what we get away with. Like locking a minion in the vending machine, or you know, blowing up Gru (Steve Carell) when he attacks Vector (Jason Segel). These are really cartoon ideas, like what would have been in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.”

He continued, “I think it just...

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Despicable Me 4 is still a box office hit even after its digital release.

The newest entry in the Despicable Me franchise continues to pass box office milestones. While the film's success could have been predicted, the animated movie continues to surpass expectations. With so many hit films this summer, Collider describes Despicable Me 4 as a sleeper hit. Collider additionally reports that Despicable Me 4 garnered $330 million domestically and $477 million globally, and its overall earnings are a whopping $807 million. Despite its digital release, Despicable Me 4 is still going strong and is set to overtake Minions: The Rise of Gru in earnings.

Related Despicable Me 4 Comes to PVOD With Two New Mini-Movies, Watch a Sneak Peek Clip

Exclusive: It's game over for the Minions in Cbr's clip of a new Despicable Me 4 Mini-Movie, soon coming to PVOD.

Despicable Me has proven itself to be a powerhouse animation franchise.

The ‘Despicable Me’ and ‘Minions’ series' have left an incredible mark with six movies in the books, let’s see how each movie performed and what the franchise has in store for the future! The ‘Despicable me’ franchise has become a renowned name all around the world since its start in 2010. From its smaller beginnings to the release of the franchise's 4th film earlier this month. The series has become a phenomenon with 6 total movies. Four movies follow the ‘Despicable me’ series and 2 follow the Minions series which is set to be the prequel to all ‘Despicable me’ movies. Produced by Illumination Productions and distributed by Universal pictures, the movies all center around Gru, his three daughters and the very loved minions. The concept of the series originated from animator Sergio Pablos, who founded his animation company Spa Studios, with the aid of other ideas before becoming a global blockbuster franchise under Illumination Productions.

Universal City, California, August 5, 2024 – As Gru and his Minions continue to dominate global box office charts, Despicable Me 4 will be available exclusively on digital platforms to own or rent tomorrow, August 6, 2024, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed as “The funniest movie of the summer”, this latest installment now includes two never-before-seen Minion Mini-Movies, “Benny’s Birthday” and “Game Over and Over,” only when you purchase from participating retailers nationwide including Amazon, Apple, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Comcast Xfinity, Cox, and Verizon.

The world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain-League agent returns for a bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illumination’s Despicable Me 4, now with 2 mini-movies. Gru, Lucy, and their girls welcome a new member to the family – Gru Jr. – who is intent on tormenting his dad, as a new nemesis shows up and forces the family to go on the run. This latest blockbuster chapter in the biggest...

Universal City, California, August 5, 2024 – As Gru and his Minions continue to dominate global box office charts, Despicable Me 4 will be available exclusively on digital platforms to own or rent tomorrow, August 6, 2024, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed as “The funniest movie of the summer”, this latest installment now includes two never-before-seen Minion Mini-Movies, “Benny’s Birthday” and “Game Over and Over,” only when you purchase from participating retailers nationwide including Amazon, Apple, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Comcast Xfinity, Cox, and Verizon.

The world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain-League agent returns for a bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illumination’s Despicable Me 4, now with 2 mini-movies. Gru, Lucy, and their girls welcome a new member to the family – Gru Jr. – who is intent on tormenting his dad, as a new nemesis shows up and forces the family to go on the run. This latest blockbuster chapter in the biggest...

Despicable Me 4's VOD release date has now been revealed. Directed by Chris Renaud, the latest installment in the Despicable Me franchise sees Steve Carell return to the role of Gru once more, this time working with his family including the mischievious Gru Jr. to take on the villainous Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend, Valentina. The Despicable Me 4 reviews may have been somewhat mixed, but the film has been a major box office hit.

Now, Universal reveals that Despicable Me 4 will release on VOD on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. When purchased from participating retailers, the digital release will include two Minion mini-movies, including Benny's Birthday and Game Over and Over. Benny's Birthday will follow Benny as he becomes stuck in a time loop while celebrating a birthday Minions-style, while Game Over and Over depicts the mayhem that ensues after Minions discover a game controller that gives them...

For months before the 2024 Summer Olympics, there had been questions surrounding Paris’ ability to hold such a massive event. The city’s residents had threatened to defecate in the Seine River — the site of the opening ceremony — in protest of its highly polluted waters. As the opening presentation neared, things didn’t exactly get better. Just this morning, France’s high-speed rail trains were a target of arson, and thunderstorms cast clouds over the city. Yet, when the opener finally commenced, audiences were transported through a whimsical and engaging four-hour showcase that presented the best of Paris’ glorious architecture and music while welcoming top athletes from across the globe to the French capital.

The ceremony launched with French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane jogging through the streets, carrying the lighted torch down into the Paris Metro and emerging on the Seine via sailboat in a gorgeous explosion of blue, white and red hovering above the river.

Illumination and Universal’s Despicable Me 4 handily crossed the six-century mark at the global box office this week, now with $632M through Thursday. The latest in the series has pushed the worldwide running total for the Despicable Me/Minions franchise to $5.3B, overtaking Transformers ($5.295B) and the Avatar movies ($5.268B). This puts the franchise at No. 12 on the all-time global chart.

As we reported earlier this month, the latest installment from Gru and the gang helped propel the Despicable Me/Minions films across the $5B mark worldwide, making it the first animated franchise to reach the milestone. It was already, and remains, the biggest animated franchise of all time globally.

After beginning early overseas play in select markets on June 20, the Chris Renaud-directed and Patrick Delage-co-directed DM4 has continued a staggered release pattern. This past frame added Japan with the biggest studio opening of the year. Korea...

Is the Despicable Me franchise a Darwinist project in which the Minions started their evolution back at the beginning of life on Earth, or did intelligent design deliver Gru his wacky yellow Tic-Tac workers? More importantly, are the films’ writers finally ready to answer the Hitler question?

When Despicable Me premiered in the summer of 2010, the star of the smash-hit kid’s comedy wasn’t Steve Carell playing the lead villain Gru, or Jason Segel’s alternate antagonist Vector, or even the thankfully-since-fired Russell Brand as the brilliant scientist Dr. Nefario. No, regardless of the billing order, the undeniable headliner of the massively successful movie that launched a seven-film franchise was the collective order of the Minions, Gru’s colorful cronies whose slapstick antics and love of bananas captivated children and adults alike to the tune of a half-billion-dollar return at the box office.

Like all Despicable Me characters, the...

Pierre Coffin voices the Minions in every Despicable Me movie, contributing to their iconic nonsensical speech. Despite his lack of experience in voice acting, Coffin's performance as the Minions has been extremely successful. The Minions' speech is a mix of various languages, showcasing a complex linguistic approach by Coffin for their communication.

Gru's diminutive yellow accomplices have probably been the biggest legacy of the Minions and Despicable Me saga, but just who voices the Minions isn't exactly clear. Unlike many other famous animated characters, Minions lack a distinctive vocal inflection, instead communicating in a series of nonsensical jabbering squeaks. As a result, it wouldn't necessarily make sense for an A-List performer to lend their considerable not to mention expensive talents to the role.

The babbling chatter of Kevin, Bob and the other Minions has played a key role in establishing the series' tone and universal slapstick humor across...

Quick Links Minions 3 Latest News Minions 3 Release Date Minions 3 Cast Minions 3 Story Details Minions 3: Further News & Info Minions 3 is set for release on June 30, 2027, continuing the trend of alternating Despicable Me films with Minions spinoffs. Direct ties may be drawn to the original Despicable Me movies in Minions 3, bringing the franchise full circle. Brian Lynch will pen the script, and Pierre Coffin will direct Minions 3, with potential returns of familiar characters.

With 2024's Despicable Me 4 continuing the franchise's blockbuster pedigree, attention turns to the spinoffs, and Minions 3 is already in the works with an announced release date. Beginning in 2010 with Despicable Me, the lovable yellow henchmen have stolen the show in each of the family-friendly franchise's installments, and their antics were further fleshed out in the spinoff films. The Minions subseries began in 2015, with the eponymous first entry, and is set before the events of the Despicable Me trilogy.

Despicable Me 4 has pushed the franchise's worldwide gross to $5.025 billion. This makes Despicable Me the first animated movie franchise to ever pass the $5 billion milestone. Despicable Me could be followed across that milestone by upcoming installments in the Shrek and Toy Story franchises.

Despicable Me 4 has pushed the animated franchise past a huge global milestone. The movie is the fourth installment in the flagship Illumination franchise, which follows the adventures of reformed supervillain Gru and his family, in addition to being the sixth installment overall including the two movies in the Minions spinoff subfranchise. The Despicable Me 4 release had an auspicious debut over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, grossing a whopping $122.6 million at the domestic box office during its first five days after opening midweek.

Per Deadline, the Despicable Me 4 box office is projected to add another $136 million to its worldwide total by the end...