Despicable Me funnies and nothing to suggest a sequel, which is probably wise." Tasha Robinson of "The A.V. Club" gave the film a B, saying, "Until the "creep + orphans = happy family" formula starts demanding abrupt, unconvincing character mutations, "Despicable Me" is a giddy joy." Marjorie Baumgarten of "The Austin Chronicle" gave the film three out of five stars, saying, "Everyone knows that the villains are usually the most interesting characters in any movie. So the makers of "Despicable Me" were wise to cut to the chase and make the megalomaniacal Gru the central character in this animated film." Released on
Despicable Me (franchise) Illumination's CEO Chris Meledandri said in September 2017 that a fourth "Despicable Me" film is in the works. A prequel to "Despicable Me", featuring the Minions, was released on July 10, 2015. Written by Brian Lynch, it was directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy. Sandra Bullock voiced Scarlet Overkill, the villain of the film and Jon Hamm voiced her husband and inventor, Herb Overkill.. The film received mixed reviews by critics and grossed more than $1.1 billion worldwide. A sequel to "Minions" was officially announced on the date January 25, 2017,