The “Despicable Me” and “Minions” franchise is a box-office juggernaut, bringing in more than $5 billion across six movies. It’s the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time, and the latest installment, “Despicable Me 4,” is already the fifth highest-grossing movie of 2024. Indeterminately accented former villain Gru, his growing family, and his little yellow assistants the Minions have become indelible parts of pop culture.
“Despicable Me 4” returns the focus to Gru and his family after the 2022 prequel “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” with storylines for all of the series’ major characters. Steve Carell once again voices Gru, who’s targeted by villain Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and forced into hiding along with his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig), his three daughters, and his newborn son Gru Jr. Some of the Minions join the family, while others end up at a secret facility where they’re given experimental superpowers.
