Timeline-YATAD/Despicable Me

Despicable Me is a 2010 American animated comedy film produced by Yonatan Ashad Channel Movies, Illumination Entertainment, and Yonatan Ashad Animation Studios and distributed by Yonatan Ashad Productions and Universal Pictures. The first feature film from Illumination, it was directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin (in their feature directorial debuts) and produced by Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy and John Cohen, from a screenplay by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, which was in turn based on an original story by Sergio Pablos. Despicable Me stars the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, and Julie Andrews. 
Despicable Me debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 9, 2010, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 9. The film received positive reviews and earned $543.2 million worldwide, becoming the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2010. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Golden Globe Awards, BAFTA Awards and Annie Awards. The film's success led to two sequels—Despicable Me 2 (2013) and Despicable Me 3 (2017)— and two spin-offs—Minions (2015) and Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
==Premise==
The film follows Gru, a longtime supervillain who adopts three orphan girls to use as pawns in a villainous scheme but accidentally develops an emotional attachment to them.
==Plot==
Longtime supervillain Gru is outdone by an unknown rival who stole the Great Pyramid of Giza. Gru, his elderly assistant Dr. Nefario, and his army of Minions formulate a plan to steal the Earth's Moon. Dr. Nefario worries that the plan will be too expensive, so Gru applies for a loan from Mr. Perkins, the director of the Bank of Evil, who orders Gru to steal a shrink ray first. While at the bank, Gru meets Perkins's son, Vector, a budding supervillain who was responsible for the Pyramid heist. Gru and two of his Minions steal the shrink ray from a research base, only for Vector to intercept them and obtain it for himself in relatiation to Gru freezing his head with one of his weapons.
After a series of failed attempts to steal back the shrink ray from Vector's fortress, Gru notices three orphan girls, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, being allowed into the fortress to sell cookies for Vector. Gru disguises himself as a dentist and adopts the girls; he later uses them to distract Vector long enough for him to steal back the shrink ray. Gru starts bonding with the girls after failing to abandon them at an amusement park. He later shows Mr. Perkins the shrink ray via video call just as the girls interrupt it, causing Mr. Perkins to refuse the loan. A heartbroken Gru tells the Minions that the bank ceased funding the project. The girls give him their piggy bank, and the Minions pool all of their resources to raise the funds needed for the project. Mr. Perkins informs Vector of Gru's possession of the shrink ray, prompting Vector to take action by kidnapping the girls.
Dr. Nefario calculates the day when the Moon is closest to Earth, but it is the same day as the girls' ballet recital. Believing the girls are becoming too much of a distraction to Gru, Dr. Nefario calls the orphanage's owner Miss Hattie to take the girls back. Gru successfully shrinks and steals the Moon. In hopes to make it to the recital on time, Gru rushes back to Earth, but finds that the recital has already ended and learns of Vector's plot.
Arriving at Vector's fortress, Gru surrenders the Moon to Vector, but he refuses to hand back the girls. Gru determines to exact vengeance on Vector for their abduction by storming the fortress. In panic, Vector activates his escape aircraft. Meanwhile, Dr. Nefario and the Minions discover that the shrink ray's effects are temporary: the bigger an object, the faster it reverts to its regular size. Gru, Dr. Nefario, and the Minions rescue the girls before the Moon returns to its normal size and launches itself into orbit, with Vector stranded on it. Gru reclaims custody of the girls and they celebrate with a special ballet recital that becomes a dance party.
==Voice cast==
* Steve Carell as Gru, a longtime supervillain
* Jason Segel as Vector, an archrival of Gru who was responsible for the Great Pyramid of Giza heist
* Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, Gru's elderly assistant
* Kristen Wiig as Miss Hattie, the orphanage's owner
* Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, one of Gru's adopted daughters
* Dana Gaier as Edith, one of Gru's adopted daughters
* Elsie Fisher as Agnes, one of Gru's adopted daughters
* Will Arnett as Mr. Perkins, the president of the Bank of Evil
* Julie Andrews as Gru's mom
* Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud and Jemaine Clement as the Minions, Gru's adorable and humorous henchmen
Additionally, other actors voice their roles in the film: Danny McBride as Fred McDade, Jack McBrayer as a carnival barker and a tourist dad, Mindy Kaling as a tourist mom, Rob Huebel as an anchorman, Ken Daurio as an Egyptian guard, and Ken Jeong as a talk-show host.
==Production==
==Release==
===Theatrical===
Despicable Me debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 9, 2010, followed by a premiere on June 27, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The film was released in the United States on July 9.
===Box office===
===Critical reception===
===Tie-in media===
Vicious Cycle Software developed and released a Despicable Me tie-in video game for the PS2, PSP, Wii, and Nintendo DS.
===Home media===
Yonatan Ashad Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released Despicable Me on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and DVD on December 14, 2010. Physical copies contain behind-the-scenes featurettes; filmmaker commentaries; games; and short films Home Makeover, Orientation Day, and Banana. A 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version was released in 2017.
== Production ==
=== Development and writing ===
To develop Despicable Me, Spanish animator Sergio Pablos pitched the idea about a main character having villainous attributes. Pablos brought his pitch to producer Chris Meledandri, who founded his animation studio Illumination Entertainment after leaving 20th Century Fox Animation in early 2007; screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio began writing the script. Afterward, Meledandri brought together Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud to direct the project. Coffin, who comes from Mac Guff, was recruited for his experience directing commercials for the studio, while Renaud was brought in for his animation experience in Blue Sky Studios. In November 2008, Illumination announced the beginning of development on its first CG animated film and project, Despicable Me.
After being upset at recognizing Gru's behavior early in the production, which could become stale with audiences, Meledandri ordered the directors to lighten Despicable Me's tone. Steve Carell reasoned this was because it could ruin the emotional weight between Gru and the three orphan girls. Carell suggested that the character "displayed a sharp edge". In response, two scenes were written: Gru popping a balloon and freezing customers. The language spoken by the Minions was invented by Coffin and Renaud; it is sometimes nicknamed "Minionese". By June 2010, the film was completed.
=== Animation ===
Animation services were handled by the Paris-based studio Mac Guff, with only 100 artists. Coffin, Renaud, and character designer Eric Guillon were responsible for creating the Minions. They did not exist in the original script until their addition during Despicable Me's production. Initial designs for the Minions were humans and robots, before finalizing their appearances to small, yellow pill-shaped creatures. Renaud described the Minions as out of focus and "not very smart". The characters took inspiration from Oompa-Loompas in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Jawas in the Star Wars franchise, as well as silent screen stars Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, and Warner Bros. cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny.
=== Music ===
Despicable Me: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, and it was released on July 6, 2010. It features new songs from the film written and performed by Pharrell Williams and performances by Destinee & Paris, the Sylvers, Robin Thicke, and the Bee Gees.
==Gallery==
===Concept art===
===Storyboards===
==Trivia==
*TBA
Category:Movies