Despicable Me is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio.

It centers on a former supervillain turned secret agent named Gru, his adoptive daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his yellow-colored Minions.

The franchise also includes many short films, a television special, several video games, and a theme park attraction.

[3][4] Despicable Me debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 9, 2010,[5] and was released in the United States on July 9.

During their investigations, they extract El Macho (Bratt), a supervillain with the goal of causing world domination after faking his death.

[9] Gru teams up with his long-lost twin brother Dru to stop Balthazar Bratt, a former child actor of the 1980s, from destroying Hollywood, Los Angeles, after his show is canceled years ago.

[15] The Minions search for their replaceable evil master after, one-by-one, accidentally killing all their past leaders throughout history.

[19] Minions: The Rise of Gru debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022,[20] and was released in the United States on July 1.

[25] Agnes is unsatisfied with her toy bike after falling off it while attempting to catch up to an ice cream truck with Margo, Edith, and their friends.

[26] The Nelsons' youngest son Binky, having lost his pacifier after a successful robbery at a museum, sets out on a mission to retrieve it.

[29] Before they all make their big escape from prison in Despicable Me 3, a couple of lucky Minions get a taste of freedom as they break free with the help of one of their fellow human inmates.

[29] Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, having been accidentally dropped off at the North Pole, make the most of the situation by trying to become elves.

Aired on NBC on June 11, 2021[citation needed] and included in the Minions: The Rise of Gru DVD and Blu-ray.

[34] Taking place right after the ending of the first film, Vector Perkins, still stuck on the Moon, attempts to escape and return to Earth.

Additionally, the special includes holiday-themed interstitials featuring characters from Illumination's The Secret Life of Pets and Sing franchises.

[40] Namco also released on July 6, 2010, a version for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch platform entitled Despicable Me: Minion Mania, developed by Anino Games.

The game, developed by Gameloft, was adapted for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV,[42] Android, and Windows Phone devices.

[49] The free-to-play mobile game developed by Electronic Arts (otherwise known as EA), titled Minions Paradise, was released in the summer of 2015.

[50] Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a simulator ride that opened on July 2, 2012, at Universal Studios Florida and on April 12, 2014, at Universal Studios Hollywood, starring Steve Carell as Gru, Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, Dana Gaier as Edith, Elsie Fisher as Agnes, and Pierre Coffin as the Minions.

Another version of the attraction, built as part of Minion Land, opened on February 14, 2025, at Universal Studios Singapore.

[124][125][126] The first three Despicable Me films each received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature.