Despicable Me

2010

Directed By: Pierre Coffin; Chris Renaud

Story by: Sergio Pablos

Screenplay By: Cinco Paul; Ken Daurio

Starring: Steve Carell; Jason Segel; Russell Brand; Kristen Wiig; Miranda Cosgrove; Will Arnett; Julie Andrews

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. Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud in their directorial debuts with a story by Sergio Pablos and screenplay by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the film is eponymous with the main character and its theme song, composed 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 Jason Segel as the voice of 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 received positive reviews and grossed over $546 million worldwide against a budget of $69 million. It launched the Despicable Me franchise series of films, including the sequel Despicable Me 2 in 2013, another sequel, Despicable Me 3 in 2017, and two prequels; Minions, released in 2015, and the upcoming Minions: The Rise of Gru in 2021, both of which feature Gru's Minions as the main characters.