Despicable Me 4 is an upcoming American animated comedy film produced by Illumination and released by Universal Pictures. It will be the sequel to Despicable Me 3 (2017), the fourth main installment and sixth overall in the Despicable Me series. Despicable Me 4 is set to be released theatrically in the United States on July 3, 2024.

Despicable Me is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos. It centers on a former supervillain turned secret agent named Gru and his yellow-colored Minions. The franchise is produced by Illumination and distributed by its parent company Universal Pictures.

The franchise began with the 2010 film of the same name, which was followed by two sequels, Despicable Me 2 (2013) and Despicable Me 3 (2017), with a sequel, Despicable Me 4, coming on July 3, 2024; and by two spin-off prequels, Minions (2015) and Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022). The franchise also includes many short films, a television special, several video games, and a theme park attraction. It is the highest-grossing animated film franchise and the 15th highest-grossing film franchise of all time, having grossed over $4.4 billion globally.

Main series

Despicable Me (2010)

Main article: Despicable Me (film)

Longtime supervillain Gru formulates a plan to steal the Moon. Meanwhile, he starts a family by adopting three orphan girls, and must decide where his commitments lie.[2][3]

Despicable Me debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 9, 2010,[4] and was released in the United States on July 9.[5]

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

Main article: Despicable Me 2

Gru is recruited by agent Lucy Wilde, who is investigating a theft of the mutagen called PX-41, stolen from the Arctic Circle. During their investigations,[6][7][8] they extract Eduardo Pérez / El Macho,[9][10] a supervillain with the goal of causing world domination after faking his death.[6][10]

Despicable Me 2 debuted in Australia on June 5, 2013,[11] and was released in the United States on July 3.[12]

Despicable Me 3 (2017)

Main article: Despicable Me 3

Gru teams up with his long-lost twin brother Dru to stop Balthazar Bratt, a former child actor of the 1980s, from destroying Hollywood, Los Angeles, after his show is canceled.[13][14]

Despicable Me 3 debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 14, 2017,[15] and was theatrically released in the United States on June 30.[16]

Despicable Me 4 (2024)

Main article: Despicable Me 4

Gru, who is now raising a baby, faces Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, two villains who seek revenge on Gru and his family, forcing the family to go on the run.[17]

Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri revealed in an interview in September 2017 that a fourth Despicable Me film is in development.[18] On February 18, 2022, Universal scheduled the film for a July 3, 2024 release.[19]

Prequel series

Minions (2015)

Logo of the first Minions filmMain article: Minions (film)

The Minions search for their replaceable evil master after accidentally killing all of those in history.[20]

Minions debuted in London on June 11, 2015,[21] and was released in the United States on July 10.[22]

Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)

Main article: Minions: The Rise of Gru

Logo of Minions: The Rise of Gru.

An eleven-year-old Gru plans to become a supervillain with the help of his Minions, which leads to a showdown with a malevolent team, the Vicious 6.[23]

Minions: The Rise of Gru debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022,[24] and was released in the United States on July 1.[