Despicable Me 4 Trailer: Steve Carells Gru Welcomes New Addition to the Family; Will

September 2024 · 4 minute read

Gru and the Minions are back, as Universal and Illumination’s “Despicable Me 4” has released its first trailer. 

The film, which hits theaters on July 3, 2024, continues the popular animated franchise, which follows the reformed supervillain Gru (Steve Carell) trying to do good and finding family while he’s at it. Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Chris Renaud, Dana Gaier and Pierre Coffin also return for the fourth installment. 

“Despicable Me 4” introduces new characters voiced by Will Ferrell, Joey King, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Chloe Fineman and Madison Polan. Ferrell voices Gru’s new nemesis Maxime Le Mal, while Vergara plays Maxime’s femme fatale girlfriend Valentina.

Related Stories

A cartoon hand hovering over the delete button for the "Disney +" app VIP+

Disney’s App Store Play Is Another Strategic Blow for Apple

Wall of advertising screens. Background with selective focus and copy space. AI generated

Six Biggest Companies to Spend Record $126 Billion on Content in 2024, up 9%, Led by Disney

The first movie featured Gru adopting three daughters, while the second installment saw Gru finding love with Lucy Wilde (voiced by Wiig). “Despicable Me 3” had a shocking reveal with the appearance of Gru’s long-lost twin brother, Dru (also voiced by Carell). In the fourth film, Gru and Lucy welcome a new addition to the family: their son, Gru Jr.

Popular on Variety

In 2017, “Despicable Me 3” was a rousing box office success, crossing the $1 billion milestone worldwide and exceeding the “Shrek” series as highest-grossing animated film franchise. Part of the franchise’s success can likely be attributed to its most iconic and memorable characters, the Minionese-speaking yellow Minions. These lovable Minions serve as Gru’s “sidekicks” but, in keeping with demand, have since gone on to star in their own spinoff films, “Minions” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”

“On the surface, the ‘Despicable Me’ cartoons appear to be sendups of the James Bond franchise, but beneath that slick, spoofy exterior, they’re really marshmallow-centered affirmations of good old-fashioned family values,” Peter Debruge wrote in his review of “Despicable Me 3” for Variety.

Illumination co-founder Chris Meledandri produces. “Despicable Me” and “Despicable Me 2” director Chris Renaud co-directs with Patrick Delage, and Mike White serves as writer.

Watch the trailer below.

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXOAjp%2BgpaVfo7K4v46dnKyomZiuo7jEZqSeZWRiwbOtyKWcq2WjqbK3sYycmKudnKF6uLXLpWSfnaKnsq24jGppbG1nbn9xhZVo