Despicable Me

Despicable Me is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos. It centers on a supervillain turned secret agent named Gru, his adoptive daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, 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 three sequels, Despicable Me 2 (2013), Despicable Me 3 (2017), and Despicable Me 4 (2024). Three spin-off prequels based on the Minions have also been released, including the 2015 film of the same name, Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), and Minions & Monsters (2026). The films have received mixed reviews from critics. As of 2026, the franchise is the thirteenth highest-grossing media franchise and, with a total global box-office revenue of over US$6 billion, the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time, surpassing Shrek in 2017. The films have set numerous box-office records, with Despicable Me 3 and Minions each grossing over $1 billion and being among the highest-grossing films at the time of their release. The franchise also includes short films, a television special, several video games, and a theme park attraction.