Gru, his daughters, his girlfriend and his baby are back… as well as the ineffable Minions who, as usual, are causing chaos. Ready for adventure? Let’s go…
1 – Gru (voice of Steve Carell in the original version) and Lucy (voice of Kristen Wiig) are head over heels in love. And they had a son, Gru Jr. But beware, the little brother of Margo (voice of Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (voice of Dana Gaier) and Agnes (voice of Madison Polan) is not easy. At the same time, the former villain now has a new enemy in the person of Maxime Le Mal (voice of Will Ferrell)… and his sweetheart, the formidable Valentina (voice of Sofia Vergara), which forces the whole family to flee.
2 – “Chris Rock once said, when talking about humor, that you have to deliver a surprise every 10 seconds. I think this also applies to the storyline. It doesn’t have to be an unexpected outcome like in The sixth sensebut even something subtle is essential to keep the audience invested. Once viewers can guess the plot half an hour in advance, we’ve lost them. It’s those little surprises, either in the characters or in the plot, that keep moviegoers interested. It’s a strategic sprinkling in to keep moments fresh,” said director Chris Renaud to explain the success of the films in this franchise, which have grossed $4.6 billion at the international box office.
3 – There were numerous contributions in this Hateful me 4Co-director Patrick Delage is a former Pixar and Disney employee who has worked on hits such as Ratatouille or Wall-Ebringing a formidable “sense of detail,” according to Chris Renaud. The screenplay was co-written by Mike White, known for his humor and the scripts of White Lotus et Migration, animated film from Illumination Studios. But that’s not all. As Chris Renaud said, “we looked at the cartoons of Warner Bros., the timeless humor of Buster Keaton and the irreverent charm of Peter Sellers. These influences set the tone of humor from the beginning of the film. It’s a mix of physical, playful and crazy comedy that made the franchise immediately stand out, especially in an area where our humor wasn’t the norm at the time.”
4 – “Since I’ve been voicing him, I’ve had a lot of fun with Gru,” said Steve Carell. “When we first saw him on film, he was a mean criminal mastermind. But we quickly realized he had a huge heart and a huge capacity for love. Above all, he’s a husband and a father. I think that’s what’s so fun about this character: watching him struggle with the good in him.”
5 – “At first, Lucy was a lone secret agent, but then over the course of the films, she not only worked alongside Gru, but she also became a mother, which I can relate to because, over the course of These 10 years, I’ve also become a mom,” explained Kristen Wiig, who welcomed her twins in 2020. “I can understand Lucy’s commitment to her work, a commitment she keeps while prioritizing her family. I love seeing Lucy’s growth through these films. When we developed Lucy’s character, her energy and enthusiasm were essential. That’s what makes her so adorable and funny. You might not immediately think of her as a secret agent because she’s not very subtle, but her enthusiasm pairs perfectly with Gru’s grumpy character. It’s an unlikely couple, but they complement each other and she brings out a lightness in Gru.”
Despicable Me 4 will delight families of moviegoers from July 3.
