Moviefone Editorial

Tag: despicable-me-3

‘Despicable Me 4’ Digital Release Interview: Chris Renaud
iI4c4s88
Available to purchase on digital beginning August 6th is the box office hit ‘Despicable Me 4’, which was directed by Chris Renaud (‘Despicable Me’ and ‘Despicable Me 2’).

The movie once again stars Steve Carell (‘The Office’) as Gru and Kristen Wiig (‘Wonder Woman: 1984’) as Lucy Wilde, while joining the cast are Will Ferrell (‘Old School’) as Maxime Le Mal and Sofia Vergara (‘Modern Family’) as Valentina.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Despicable Me 4’

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Chris Renaud about his work on Despicable Me 4’, the success of the movie and the overall franchise, why we love the Minions, how Gru has changed since the first film, his rivalry with Maxime Le Mal, what Will Ferrell brought to the role, working with Steve Carell and what being part of this franchise has meant to Renaud personally.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Moviefone: To begin with, ‘Despicable Me 4’ is now available on digital but is still doing very well theatrically at the box office. Are you surprised by the success of the movie and the popularity of the franchise?

Chris Renaud: Yes and no. In that, I mean, look, as we’re making these films, we preview them. We test them with audiences, and I was at a premiere in New York and a premiere in Paris, and even though those are probably stacked in your favor, you can feel the energy. You can feel the response and the love that the audience really has for these characters. I think that obviously coming off ‘Minions: Rise of Gru’, the love of the audience is clear. I think the job for us as filmmakers is not to let them down. I think that after sitting with several audiences through the course of making the movie, and you can never predict what’s going to happen financially at the box office, but I felt that we were delivering on the promise and hopefully that that would translate to people going to the theater and seeing the movie.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Can you explain the pop culture phenomenon that is the Minions? Why do we love them so much?

CR: It’s truly lightning in a bottle. I think it’s one of those things that all the elements came together to create this comedic personality with a universal quality. By that I mean from the design, which is super simple, a five-year-old could draw it, no problem. The simple color scheme, yellow and blue, besides the Ukrainian flag now means Minions. The language, which is every language and (no language at the same time), and very much influenced by things like R2-D2 and the Jawas where you kind of got what they were saying but you didn’t understand it literally. Their animated performance, their incompetence, their childlike quality which gives them this appeal that is hard to match. So, I really truly think it’s one of those things where every element of it came together in a way that is just special. That’s about all I can say. The things that I loved as a kid, Batman comics and ‘Star Wars’, the Minions are sort of maybe not quite at that level, but they’re in the culture in a way that is far and few between with other characters, and that’s amazing to have been a part of that.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Can you talk about how Gru has changed since the first film?

CR: We think about that. We’re like, we need Gru to be Gru, which is maybe more villainous, but the truth is when we try it, what we end up finding is it feels false. The reason why, and I think one of the reasons that besides the Minions that people like this group of characters is that Gru has changed, and he’s changed the way probably most people change once they have kids and have a family. It does change you and change how you think. So, it’s very extreme for Gru, where he was a villain and then now, he’s essentially a good guy and a softy. He’s still, obviously in this movie, he enjoys seeing his snobby neighbor get bested by one of the Minions. So, he still Gru, but he’s a different guy. I think that the arc of his life is something that a lot of people, particularly the adults in the audience can relate to.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Can you talk about Gru and Le Mal’s history together and their rivalry?

CR: Maxime Le Mal really starts with Will Ferrell’s performance, which is terrific. Seeing Maxime and Gru in the high school reunion, they went to a villain high school called Lycée Pas Bon. Seeing that rivalry at the beginning of the film I think is just so much fun, particularly with those comedic actors, but also giving us an opportunity to again, see a different aspect of Gru’s life. We haven’t really seen any clips from his high school. What I love too, without getting into the details is that the source of their rivalry is such a small detail and such a small transgression. I think that’s so true, and I think that’s one of the great things about these characters and what makes them so relatable is that little kind of, as I said, transgression from high school is the kind of thing that we carry with us the rest of our life. I love that, that it is not some big world-shattering stakes that they have against each other. It’s just a tiny insult that ends up creating this rivalry that runs through the film.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: What was it like working with Will Ferrell?

CR: So, the character in the script that we delivered to Will was Maxime Le Mal. So, he came in with a French accent, which was great. What we did do, as I sort of gave him the opportunity, I said, “Look, do you have any other ideas that we could try?” Because it was the first session. Will is like, “Listen, I got this great Swedish accent I’ve always wanted to try.” We would’ve changed the name no problem. It was early days. We did try a couple of things, but really the French accent that he came in with was what you hear and that is the character.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Can you talk about Steve Carell’s impact on this franchise?

CR: I think it’s hard to understate how important Steve’s performance is to the character. Again, and we were just talking about accents. One of the things that when we started our first recording session for him way back in probably 2008, we were talking about Peter Sellers and ‘Inspector Clouseau‘ and this idea of an accent. We tried a couple of things like a Latin influence, a couple of different thoughts, a Spanish influence. But we quickly landed on what you hear, which is this kind of weird fusion of Eastern European. The scale to it that Steve was able to bring, and we obviously have the best comedic actor out there, but it all radiates out of what Steve has done with Gru. When he comes in and records, obviously at this point, we know what he is doing. It’s not like we’re figuring it out. We all have a good handle on Gru, but he’s very thoughtful in the process. He thinks about the lines. He is like, “Why would Gru say that?” He’s very considerate of the character and I’m sure he has a great affection for the character because he’s probably one of the most iconic, well-known animated characters of all time at this point. That’s no small credit to the performance that Steve has helped create. I say help because of the animators who do the visual and the character design, but Steve is really where it starts.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Finally, can you talk about what it has meant to you personally to be part of this beloved franchise?

CR: in a lot of ways that’s even hard to describe. It’s had such a huge impact on me, not just working with these characters and being a part of these successful films, but living in Paris, France where the film picture is produced. So as an American living abroad, I’ve spent essentially my adult life there. We moved back in 2008, it’s almost 16 years now I’ve lived in France. So, it’s every aspect of my life and our life as a family have been impacted by working on these films. I think that Illumination as a company stands where it stands because of the first ‘Despicable Me’, it was a rock-solid idea in the original pitch. Then the stuff that we were able to add to it, Pierre Coffin, myself, the writers, Chris Meledandri, and the team at Illumination. It really was one of these things that was built brick by brick in the first film. I think that first film is what carries the day and why we’re talking about a ‘Despicable Me 4’ now. It was something that from a design point of view and animation point of view, when it came out, everyone was like, “What is this?” I think that now it’s obviously become part of the culture, but I think that our ability to create something a bit different in the marketplace at the time still resonates. It’s why we’re still making these movies.
XjmCoHB8RPjAIvn1cMN7c4
What is the plot of ‘Despicable Me 4’?

Gru (Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls—Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr. (Tara Strong), who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru also faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, (Sofia Vergara) forcing the family to go on the run.

Who is in the cast of ‘Despicable Me 4’?
- Steve Carell as Gru
- Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde
- Will Ferrell as Maxime Le Mal
- Joey King as Poppy Prescott
- Sofía Vergara as Valentina
- Stephen Colbert as Perry Prescott
- Chloe Fineman as Patsy Prescott
- Miranda Cosgrove as Margo
- Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom
- Pierre Coffin as the Minions
- Dana Gaier as Edith
- Madison Polan as Agnes
- Tara Strong as Gru Jr.
‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Other Movies in the ‘Despicable Me’ Franchise:
- ‘Despicable Me‘ (2010)
- ‘Despicable Me 2‘ (2013)
- ‘Despicable Me 3‘ (2017)
- ‘Minions‘ (2015)
- ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru‘ (2022)
Buy Tickets: ‘Despicable Me 4‘ Movie Showtimes

Buy ‘Despicable Me’ Movies On Amazon
VamvUIF8
August 19, 2024
Movie Review: ‘Despicable Me 4’
‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Opening in theaters on July 3rd, ‘Despicable Me 4’s is Illumination Entertainment (and distributor Universal) unleashing the latest salvo of their behemoth franchise.

The success of ‘Despicable’ movies is almost comically predictable at this point, and while the latest offering does very little that’s really new, it seems certain to appeal to the family target audience.

Related Article: Movie Review: Minions: The Rise of Gru

Will ‘Despicable Me 4’ Keep the Family Happy?

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Though it would be wrong to say that the franchise really matures, the new offering does at least represent the usual evolution of the story, as it finds Steve Carell’s Gru well and truly settled into family life. Yet his villainous past once more comes back to haunt him when a rival threatens his domestic bliss and the Gru clan is forced to retreat to a safe house.

Plus, any movie featuring Gru is contractually obliged to include the Minions, and here there is a new spin on that concept, albeit a slightly tired satire of a genre that has long since been spoofed beyond reason.

Script and Direction

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Written by ‘Despicable’ veteran Ken Daurio and in a slightly surprising turn, Mike White (though ‘The White Lotus’ boss is also credited with last year’s ‘Migration’, also from Illumination), so he’s clearly found a side gig groove with the animation company.

Don’t go expecting any ‘Lotus’-level depth here (not that you would from a knockabout cartoon effort), and the movie is refreshingly free of hackneyed attempts to teach family bonding lessons, mostly because they’ve all been covered before by the ‘Despicable’ movies. The gags come thick and fast, but the main issue with the screenplay and the movie on which they are based is that it all feels like separate elements that eventually try to gel for the big finish, but never feel like they’re all in the same plotline.

Gru, for example, not only has to deal with an old nemesis coming back, but a new potential threat, and the screenplay doesn’t really juggle them as effectively as they might, with several feeling underserved.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Kudos, though, to the team for two referential jokes that feel like they were layered in specifically for the parents bringing their kids to this one –– particularly a ‘Terminator 2’ moment that really works.

Chris Renaud (another ‘Despicable’ veteran) and Patrick Delage (who has worked his way up from the animation department into more of an overall leadership role here) oversaw direction. And rather than trying to change what was working about the look and feel of the movies, they kept to the basic template –– lots of Minion moments (even if, like the split plotlines, they feel like separate skits that are crowbarred into the story until they serve a point at the end. And even then, they feel like a throwaway afterthought.

If you’re taking kids who are really only there for the squat, chattering, yellow pill-shaped nuisances, you might be better off just re-watching old shorts and moments online.

Performances

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

The voice cast is predictably entertaining –– many of them have been at this franchise long enough to bed into their roles. Where things fall down somewhat is a by-the-numbers script that doesn’t really give them much that’s fresh.

Steve Carell as Gru

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Carell knows how to knock out a Gru line in his sleep these days, but he throws himself into the role with typical relish. He’s a little isolated from the rest of the family for large stretches of the story, but he bounces well off of Joey King, who plays Poppy, a teenager with criminal aspirations of her own.

Will Ferrell as Maxime Le Mal

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Will Ferrell here plays Gru’s old schoolmate and nemesis, but though Ferrell tries out a cod-French accent to try and get something new, he’s rarely all that memorable. An obsession with cockroaches seemingly opens the door to Minion-style madness, but his insect army is established and then quickly forgotten. In the ranks of gadget-obsessed villainy that have cropped up in the movies, Le Mal doesn’t really pop.

And that goes double for his girlfriend, Valentina (Sofia Vergara). It seems clear that either there is more of her role on the cutting room floor, or Vergara spent roughly 10 minutes in the recording booth as Valentina is a largely pointless character.

Stephen Colbert, Kristen Wiig and More

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Stephen Colbert, Carell’s old ‘Daily Show’ colleague is always good value matched against him (here as snooty, preppy new neighbor Perry Prescott.

Kristen Wiig, meanwhile, gets some meatier material as Lucy Wilde, Gru’s wife, including her attempts to become part of the new community where they’re forced to move.

And finally, there’s Gru Jr. the family’s new addition (who mostly just makes gurgling and other infant sounds). He’s a fun diversion, a child who simply doesn’t like his father (until…. Well, that would be spoiling things, but you can guess).

The Minions do their thing as usual, and their superhero spoof is diverting if not really effective at this point when we don’t really need another example of poking fun at the genre.

Final Thoughts

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Gru and co. are such reliable money spinners for Illumination at this point that they could probably just put out 90 minutes of Minions babbling and slapping each other, and family audiences would crack open their wallets to see it.

You might find yourself wishing for something truly revolutionary, but it’s unlikely to disappoint the diehard kiddie fans.

‘Despicable Me 4’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
XjmCoHB8RPjAIvn1cMN7c4
What’s the story of ‘Despicable Me 4’?

Gru (Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls —Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan) — welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.

At the same time, Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.

Who else lends their voices to ‘Despicable Me 4’?

The voice cast for the new animated movie includes Joey King, Stephen Colbert, Chloe Fineman, Pierre Coffin and Steve Coogan.

‘Despicable Me 4’ opens in theaters on July 3, 2024. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Other Movies in the ‘Despicable Me’ Franchise:
- ‘Despicable Me‘ (2010)
- ‘Despicable Me 2‘ (2013)
- ‘Despicable Me 3‘ (2017)
- ‘Minions‘ (2015)
- ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru‘ (2022)
Buy Tickets: ‘Despicable Me 4‘ Movie Showtimes

Buy ‘Despicable Me’ Movies On Amazon
VamvUIF8
June 30, 2024
What’s New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: December 4-10

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new TV, we’ve got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

“Despicable Me 3”
‘Tis the season to start thinking of good holiday gifts, so here’s one for the Minion-lover in your life. “Despicable Me 3” is out on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD this Tuesday, December 5. There’s a long list of bonus features, including the all-new mini movie “The Secret Life of Kyle,” plus Minion Moments, character profiles, a sing-along, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie.

Here’s an exclusive look at a bonus feature with Dana Gaier talking about her character Edith, and her growth over the course of the three films:“American Assassin”
Dylan O’Brien plays CIA black-ops recruit Mitch Rapp in this action film costarring Michael Keaton as Cold War veteran Stan Hurley. The Blu-ray — out December 5 — includes several behind-the-scenes featurettes on the locations, training, stunts, casting, and creation of the movie.

Watch this exclusive clip from the extras, focusing on the casting of Taylor Kitsch, who was approached years ago to play the Mitch Rapp role that ultimately went to Dylan O’Brien:“The Osiris Child: Science Fiction Volume One”
This sci-fi film starring Kellan Lutz, Isabel Lucas, Daniel MacPherson, and Rachel Griffiths comes out on DVD/Blu-ray December 5. When a dangerous outbreak threatens to destroy everyone living on a newly colonized planet, Lt. Kane Sommerville (MacPherson) goes against orders and leaves his station to rescue his young daughter (Teagan Croft). Desperate to get to her before it’s too late, Kane enlists the help of an escaped prisoner (Lutz) as they battle their way through the chaos of a planet on the verge of annihilation. Bonus features include five featurettes on the making of the film, plus deleted scenes, music videos, a photo gallery, and a concept art gallery.

• Redbox: New titles coming to the big red box on Tuesday, Dec. 4 include “American Assassin,” “Logan Lucky,” “Better Watch Out,” “Singularity,” “Dementia 13,” “The Crucifiction,” “Ingrid Goes West,” “Notorious,” “The Osiris Child,” “Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom,” “Pitch Perfect,” and “Pitch Perfect 2.”

New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital

“Stronger”
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman in this powerful biodrama based on the 2013 attack. “Stronger” — costarring Tatiana Maslany and Miranda Richardson — arrives on Digital December 5 and Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand December 19.

Here’s an exclusive sneak peek from the bonus featurette “Faith, Hope & Love: Becoming Stronger”; the filmmakers discuss how they worked with Boston city officials to make the film, and the work that went into recreating the bombing scene without being insensitive to the city and citizens who were affected by the tragedy:“Boston”
This documentary on the Boston Marathon, narrated by hometown boy Matt Damon, would be well-paired with “Stronger.” “Boston,” out on Digital December 5 and On Demand December 19, chronicles the story of the iconic race from its humble 15-runner origins to the present day. Extras include the featurette “Boston Symphony Orchestra Behind the Scenes.”

“F the Prom”
Danielle Campbell, Joel Courtney, Madelaine Petsch, Ian Ziering, and Cheri Oteri star in this comedy arriving on EST and VOD December 5. “Former best friends Maddy and Cole exist on opposite ends of the high school social spectrum. When Maddy’s reign as most popular girl abruptly ends, the duo reconnects as they conspire to ruin the ultimate popularity contest: senior prom.”

Check out this exclusive clip from the movie, featuring Danielle Campbell’s Maddy, and her parents, played by Cheri Oteri and Richard Karn:“Fits and Starts”
This comedy starring Wyatt Cenac, Greta Lee, Maria Dizzia, and Alex Karpovsky follows a struggling young writer who can’t escape his wife’s literary success. When a road trip to a publisher’s housewarming party takes an unexpected turn, he has to face his own creative shortcomings and find a way to regain control of his life and work.

Check out this exclusive clip from “Fits and Starts” — out on VOD and EST December 5 — with the husband and wife authors squabbling in the car:“mother!”
Find out what all the fuss and controversy has been about when this Darren Aronofsky/Jennifer Lawrence film arrives on Digital HD December 5, then 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD December 19. The psychological thriller costars Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, Brian Gleeson, and Jovan Adepo. Bonus content includes “mother! The Downward Spiral” and “The Makeup FX of mother!”

New on Netflix

“The Crown” Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Lonely, isolated Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy), her “restless” husband Philip (Matt Smith), and her lovestruck sister Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby) are all back for Season 2, whose 10 episodes arrive on Netflix this Friday, Dec. 8. “With the world undergoing great changes, a damaged British monarchy must confront its past in order to have a future.” Here’s the trailer:“Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”
Marvel fans, get ready to stream Baby Groot’s big adventure. Before we see the Guardians join the Avengers for “Infinity War,” watch them in this blockbuster sequel, available on Netflix starting December 5.

“DreamWorks Trolls Holiday “
This 30-minute special, based on the animated movie “Trolls,” got high ratings in its recent airing on NBC. Now families can stream the DreamWorks special starting December 6

TV Worth Watching

“The Great American Baking Show” (Thursday on ABC at 9 p.m.)
It’s not quite “The Great British Baking Show,” but this American sister show will launch its holiday cheer this week with two episodes back-to-back episodes: Cake Week and Morning Treats Week. This time, Paul Hollywood is here to judge alongside Johnny Iuzzini. Somehow, we’re supposed to go on without the sweetness and spice of Mary Berry. Nia Vardalos and Ian Gomez are also out as hosts, with Ayesha Curry and Anthony “Spice” Adams stepping in.

“Will & Grace” and “Superstore” Holiday Episodes (Tuesday on NBC at 9 p.m.)
Two of NBC’s Thursday comedies are moving to Tuesday for one special week of Christmas episodes. First, “Will & Grace” will have “A Gay Olde Christmas” at 9 p.m.: “Will, Grace, Karen and Jack wish they could have experienced Christmas in old New York, but realize the past was not quite as romantic or open to diversity as they pictured it.” Then “Superstore” will celebrate “Christmas Eve” at 9:30 p.m.: “Trying to prove how wild she can be, Amy turns a boring Christmas Eve at Cloud 9 into a holiday adventure; Jonah and Garrett’s roommate issues boil over; Glenn tries to prove to Mateo that Christmas is better than fine.”

“The Good Doctor” (Monday on ABC at 10 p.m.)
The first season of Freddie Highmore’s medical drama is taking a midseason break after this week’s Episode 10, “Sacrifice”: “A charming young doctor puts a member of the surgical team in an awkward position at work; Dr. Glassman suggests that Dr. Shaun Murphy meet with a therapist.” Don’t forget this recent “Good Doctor” tease from TVLine: “I hear one of the rookie hit’s full-time docs will be checking out in the near future, and his/her controversial onscreen exit — which may or may not stick — will set the stage for a big midseason storyline.”

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

December 4, 2017
‘Despicable Me’ Is Now the Highest-Grossing Animated Film Franchise Ever

Move over, Shrek, there’s a new king of the animation box office: The “Despicable Me” franchise — which also includes the “Minions” movie — has officially dethroned the green ogre to become the highest-grossing series of animated films of all time.

“Despicable” claimed its crown thanks to the impressive recent haul of the threequel “Despicable Me 3,” which bowed back in June and has so far raked in a whopping $880 million worldwide. Adding that impressive number to the series’s total earnings so far leaves the franchise’s four flicks — 2010’s “Despicable Me,” 2013’s “Despicable Me 2,” 2015 spinoff “Minions,” and “Despicable Me 3” — with a jaw-dropping cumulative sum of $3.528 billion in ticket sales, just edging out the “Shrek” series’s total of $3.51 billion.

That success is thanks largely in part to the insane popularity of the Minions, both the movie and the characters themselves. The ubiquitous little yellow guys, who first popped up as the sidekicks to Steve Carell‘s Gru in “Despicable Me,” spawned their own spinoff series (“Minions 2” is due out in 2020), and can be found plastered on pretty much every consumer product you can think of (clothes, toys, videos, school supplies, even Nutella). Deadline reports that “Minions” is now “the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time and the most profitable movie in Universal’s history.”

“Despicable Me 3” is still earning solid numbers at the worldwide box office, and this total will likely rise. While a fourth “DM” flick doesn’t have an official green light just yet, it seems like a safe bet that the series will go on, especially if Universal can keep converting cute yellow creatures into box office gold.

[via: Deadline]

August 7, 2017
Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Slings to Massive $117 Million Domestic Opening

LOS ANGELES, July 9 (Variety.com) – Spider-Man is officially a box office overachiever.

As of Sunday morning, the latest cinematic depiction of the webbed-hero, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” is looking at a $117 million opening from 4,348 locations. $10.6 million of the domestic total came from 392 Imax screens. That’s a huge win for Sony, Columbia Pictures, and Marvel Studios for the film, which cost roughly $175 million to produce. The anticipated opening weekend is higher than industry estimates, which were in the $90 million to $110 million range, while the studio cautiously pegged it at $80 million.

“Everyone at Sony and Marvel are thrilled,” said Josh Greenstein, Sony’s marketing chief. “It’s safe to say it’s a triumphant return for Spider-Man.”

“Homecoming” banked on the idea that the summer box office was craving a family-friendly superhero movie — Tom Holland plays a high school version of Peter Parker who, at 15 years old, has to prove that he is worthy of being called an Avenger. And it seems that bet is paying off. The $117 million figure is the second largest in Sony Pictures history, behind “Spider-Man 3.”

Much attention has been paid to the flick’s successful marketing campaign, which heavily featured Iron Man (Robert Downy Jr.), who serves as Spider-Man’s mentor in the film. Michael Keaton plays the big bad, Vulture, Jon Favreau plays Spidey’s guardian, Happy Hogan, and Zendaya stars as Michelle Jones (“MJ”), Parker’s brainy classmate. The movie consistently dominated social media in the weeks leading up to its release.

Before “Homecoming,” Jon Watts directed two much lower-budget feature films — the 2014 horror movie “Clown” and 2015’s “Cop Car” starring Kevin Bacon. He also has a handful of writing and producing credits, and is one of six writers credited on the “Homecoming” script. Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal share production credit. While the former has proven essentially infallible in the biz, “Homecoming” serves as a redemption narrative for the latter. After the infamous 2014 Sony hack, Pascal was ousted from her post at the top of the studio, and began to focus on producing. This is her second major release following last summer’s “Ghostbusters” reboot, but she also has a hand in a long list of upcoming projects including Sony’s “Barbie” movie, Steven Spielberg’s A-list-studded “The Papers,” and future “Spider-Man” movies.

“We have incredible partners,” said Greenstein, who said that those relationships helped the film to be “embraced in a big way. It really shows the strength for this beloved character.”

Despite the reliability of superhero movies at the box office, “Homecoming” could have been seen as a big bet for all parties involved. For one, it’s the third iteration of the character in the past 15 years — before Holland, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire donned the Spidey suit. The makers had to trust that audiences would be ready to see the character yet again. On top of that, the summer box office has not been particularly kind to the sequels and reboots that have become the industry’s summer signature. As audience fatigue has impacted previously reliable franchises like “Transformers” and even “Despicable Me,” the one thing that this summer has proved is that the domestic audience is not yet burnt out on superheroes.

This is yet another Marvel movie release that has managed to capture the approval of critics and audience members — something the DC Extended Universe could not claim until this summer with “Wonder Woman.” But Marvel’s been there since the beginning. “Homecoming” currently has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore.

“Homecoming” is the only major release this weekend, so the rest of the top five are made up to familiar faces. Starting with “Despicable Me 3,” which is headed for a $34 million second frame, or a 53% drop from last weekend. “Baby Driver” should sit comfortable in third, as positive word of a mouth is steering to a $12.8 million second weekend, or a 38% drop. “Wonder Woman” continues to hold on with $10.1 million in its sixth weekend, and “Transformers: The Last Knight” should round out the top five with $6.3 million.

Kumail Nanjiani‘s “The Big Sick” is entering the top ten as it expands toward wide release, starting next Friday. From 326 North American theaters this weekend the movie should make $3.7 million. Sofia Coppola’s “The Beguiled” should stay in the top ten as it, too, expands. This weekend it’s expected to make $2.1 million from 941 locations. Meanwhile, A24’s “A Ghost Story” starring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck should spook $105,000 from four locations during its opening frame.

Overall, the summer box office stands at about $2.3 billion, or 8% lower than last year. That leaves the year overall about dead even with 2016 after movies like “Beauty and the Beast,” “Logan,” “Get Out” and “The Fate of the Furious” laid a strong foundation for the summer during the early part of the calendar year.

“Despite the strength of ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ yet another ‘down’ weekend puts us dead even with last year’s box office pace as we remain down 8% for the summer,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. “The silver lining is the expected continued strength of Spidey, plus ‘War For The Planet of The Apes,’ ‘Dunkirk,’ and ‘Atomic Blonde’ all in rapid succession that could fuel a much-needed late summer renaissance at the multiplex.”

July 9, 2017
Are Audiences Done With the ‘Despicable Me’ Franchise?

If you’re like millions of other movie fans around the United States, you celebrated July 4th weekend by going to the multiplex to see a film not made with American audiences in mind.

Probably, that movie was “Despicable Me 3,” which topped the chart with an estimated $75.4 million earned from Friday to Sunday. The fourth film in the series (if you count the prequel “Minions,”) “DM3” boasted the widest domestic release ever, with 4,529 screens.

And yet, the movie’s domestic take was well below what was predicted. Most pundits guessed it would open closer to $85 million, like “Despicable Me 2” did four years ago; some predictions went as high as $100 million. Instead, “DM3” saw the weakest domestic opening since the first “Despicable Me” debuted with $56.4 million in 2010.

Sure, you could blame the calendar. After all, July 4 falls on a Tuesday this year, so holiday-weekend moviegoing will have petered out by the time Independence Day actually arrives. Four years ago, however, it fell on a Thursday, so long-weekend momentum favored “DM2.” In fact, the movie opened on Wednesday the 3rd, so it earned $59.6 million before the weekend even started, then grabbed another $83.5 million from Friday to Sunday.

Then again, “Minions” opened two years ago on July 10, a week after the holiday, and still cleared $115.7 million in its first three days. How did the franchise’s premiere-weekend drawing power drop by $40 million in two years?

It didn’t help that the new movie isn’t as appealing as the first three. It has the weakest reviews of the three “Despicable” titles, both at Rotten Tomatoes (just 63 percent) and at Metacritic (with a score of just 48 out of 100). Audiences liked it more than critics did, judging by its A- CinemaScore, but they still didn’t like it as much as the first three films in the franchise, which all landed A grades.
Still, Universal is probably not complaining, since “DM3” earned an estimated $116.9 million overseas. Its worldwide total of $192.3 million is more than double the film’s reported $80 million production budget. And overseas revenue accounting for 61 percent of the movie’s earnings is typical for this franchise; all four films have earned more money in foreign markets than they did here.

In fact, it’s typical not just for this franchise but for most of 2017’s top-earning movies — and even for several domestic flops — that nonetheless grossed enough overseas to make up for their poor showings here. As this column has noted in previous weeks, would-be blockbusters that underperformed here — including “Transformers: The Last Knight,” “The Mummy,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” — have seen foreign ticket sales save their bacon. And for movies that have done well stateside — “Wonder Woman,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Fate of the Furious” — have also made the bulk of their money abroad, with domestic earnings looking like little more than a nice bonus by comparison.

It’s the rare movie made with American viewers in mind that has stumbled at the box office. This weekend’s new Will Ferrell/Amy Poehler comedy “The House” couldn’t muster better than a sixth-place debut, and it couldn’t even match modest predictions that had it premiering in the low teens, opening instead with just an estimated $9.0 million. It’s the worst wide-release opening since 1998’s “A Night at the Roxbury,” when Ferrell began his big-screen career as a leading man. Even that film, based on the “SNL” sketch, managed a $9.6 million premiere, and that was at 1998 ticket prices.

Comedies do notoriously poorly abroad, due to language barriers and cultural differences. About the only reason Hollywood keeps making them is that they tend to be cheap enough to make back their budgets on domestic earnings alone. But this summer has seen several comedies struggle to connect with homegrown viewers, including “Snatched,””Baywatch,” and “Rough Night.”

American audiences seem to be tired of raunchy, R-rated comedies. It’s possible that the wave of movies about grown-ups acting like frat kids, a cycle that started with 2009’s “The Hangover,” is finally played out creatively and commercially. Of course, all of these recent R-rated comedy flops, including “The House,” were poorly reviewed and generated lackluster word-of-mouth. If there was a good original movie aimed at American adults, they might actually pay to see it in theaters.
Exhibit A: “Baby Driver,” which debuted this weekend in second place with an estimated $21.0 million from Friday to Sunday, a promising start given some early predictions that it wouldn’t crack $20 million. (Sony was smart enough to open it on Wednesday, so its domestic total is already an estimated $30.0 million.)

That’s a pretty nice sum for a movie based on an original story, from writer-director Edgar Wright, with a leading man (Ansel Elgort) who’s never carried a picture at the box office on his own. It helps that the movie’s been riding a wave of hype ever since 2017’s SXSW festival in the spring, and that both critics and audiences have raved about it. As a result, adults flocked to the film; 54 percent of its audience is older than 25.

Despite a British director and leading lady (Lily James), the action/crime caper seems to have been made with American audiences in mind. Indeed, it’s only earned an estimated $6.8 million abroad. With any luck, it’ll last long enough in theaters to make back its reported $34 million budget, plus marketing and distribution expenses. If it does, most of that return will come from American ticket sales.

If it doesn’t, $34 million isn’t that big a risk for a studio used to spending nine-figure sums on would-be blockbusters. But it’s pretty rare for a distributor to pay that much for a movie with primarily domestic appeal. “Cars 3” is an exception. Disney spent a reported $170 million to make it, even though the “Cars” movies do appeal more to Americans than foreign audiences. But Disney will more than make up for the movie’s weak box office with billions in toy sales, for which “Cars 3” is just a glorified infomercial.

Same goes for “The LEGO Batman Movie,” an $80 million toy ad that made 57 percent of its haul in North America, though it also grossed enough at the box office both here and abroad to earn a profit from ticket sales alone.

But big-budget or small-budget, Hollywood movies that succeed by appealing mostly to American audiences are becoming such a rarity that such recent examples as “Get Out” and “Hidden Figures” look like flukes. For the most part, Hollywood would prefer to celebrate Independence Day (and every other weekend) by releasing movies dependent on foreign audiences.

July 2, 2017
Box Office: ‘Despicable Me 3’ and ‘Baby Driver’ Rule, ‘The House’ Crashes

By Seth Kelley

LOS ANGELES, July 2 (Variety.com) — The tiny, yellow, animated blobs have done it again.

Illumination and Universal’s “Despicable Me 3” is cruising to an easy box office win during a busy holiday weekend. The latest in the franchise is opening to $72.4 million from 4,529 locations — the widest domestic release ever. That total is lower than earlier estimates, which pegged the film above $80 million (earlier tracking suggested it could land even higher), but nevertheless it remains the weekend’s big winner.

Steve Carell plays double duty in “Despicable Me 3” as the series’ protagonist Gru, and now also his twin brother, Dru. The plot centers on the brothers, as they team up for a criminal heist. “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker joins the franchise to voice the villain. Critics are generally on the movie’s side, earning it a 62 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie earned an A- CinemaScore from audiences, which is lower than the A earned by the first two installments and “Minions.”

Despite “Despicable’s” rule, perhaps the more interesting stories for the industry reside further down the box office chart.

Starting with “Baby Driver,” from Sony’s TriStar Pictures, MRC, and Working Title. Edgar Wright‘s latest also appears to be his biggest box office hit, as it’s cruising to $30 million from 3,226 locations — that’s including the $5.7 million head start the movie got by opening early in previews on Tuesday.

The movie centers around a character named Baby (Ansel Elgort), who becomes the getaway driver for a kingpin named Doc (Kevin Spacey). Music plays an integral role in the film since Baby suffered a traumatic experience as a child that left him with tinnitus, which he blocks out with music.

“Edgar and our partners at MRC and Working Title have made one of the most original and entertaining films in recent memory, and we’re so thrilled to see it received as a bonafide hit in a crowded summer season,” said Sony’s distribution chief Adrian Smith.

“Driver,” like “Get Out” earlier this year and “The Big Sick,” currently showing strong in limited release, is the kind of project that gets Hollywood excited about the chance for original ideas to also be financially viable. Wright’s film picked up buzz when it won the Audience Award and positive early reviews at the SXSW Film Festival. The movie’s marketing capitalized on its colorful aesthetic and emphasis on music.
Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell‘s “The House,” meanwhile, is having trouble attracting visitors. The R-rated comedy from New Line, Warner Bros., and Village Roadshow is opening to $8.7 million from 3,134 locations, according to Monday finals.

“The House” is the story of a husband (Ferrell) and wife (Poehler) who start an underground casino to help raise money for their daughter’s college fund. Andrew Jay Cohen directed from a script that he wrote with Brendan O’Brien — the two previously collaborated on the “Neighbors” movies.

For the weekend’s top five, Paramount’s “Transformers: The Last Knight” should land in third with $17 million during its second weekend. “Wonder Woman” continues to be a force for Warner Bros., and is on its way to $15.6 million domestically during its fifth weekend. The movie has crossed $700 million worldwide and passed “Suicide Squad” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” at the domestic box office. And Disney and Pixar’s “Cars 3” should place fifth during its third week with $9.5 million domestically.

After a strong start to 2017, a rather slow summer box office overall has brought the year-to-date box office numbers down to about even with last year.

“A weak May followed by a June that failed to become the savior of the summer now puts July in the hot seat to deliver the goods and get us out of the summer season doldrums,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore.

July 2, 2017
‘Despicable Me 3’ Cast Reveals the Most Despicable Things They’ve Done

“Despicable Me 3” (opening everywhere this week) features your favorite former super-villain Gru (Steve Carell, once again) being drawn back into a life of crime following his dismissal from the Anti-Villain League and his introduction to his long lost twin brother Dru (also Carell), who reveals to Gru that villainy is part of the family business. (Kristen Wiig returns as a similarly dismissed Anti-Villain League agent, Gru’s wife, and the young girls’ adoptive mother.)

All this made us wonder: What is the most despicable thing that Carell, Wiig, and Miranda Cosgrove (as Margo, Gru’s oldest daughter) have ever done?

Find out the answer in our video interview above, and watch as Wiig, Carell and Cosgrove explain the one thing from the ’80s that they’d bring back today, below. (Gru’s nemesis in the movie is Trey Parker as Balthazar Bratt, a sitcom star from the ’80s who uses old school technology to commit crimes.) Get out your Rubik’s Cube; it’s a good time.

“Despicable Me 3” is opens everywhere Friday.

June 27, 2017
‘Despicable Me 3’ Trailer Introduces Gru to His Evil Twin Brother

Villainy runs in the family, as former villain Gru learns in “Despicable Me 3.”

A new trailer introduces Dru (also voiced by Steve Carell), Gru’s long-lost twin brother who lives a wealthy and fabulous life on his own private island. Dru also happens to be an evil mastermind, too, albeit one with blonde hair and a white wardrobe. He wants his bro to join him in one last, awesome heist. Gru has sworn off his villainous ways, but engaging in some dastardly sibling rivalry might be too tempting to pass up.The first trailer introduced the movie’s main antagonist, Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), a former kid actor who’s obsessed with the character he played. Kristen Wiig comes on board as the voice of Lucy, Gru’s wife. And of course, the Minions are back in all their silly glory.

“Despicable Me 3” opens in theaters June 30.

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

March 14, 2017
The First ‘Despicable Me 3’ Trailer Is Really, Really ‘Bad’

This summer, “Despicable Me 3” will introduce its most terrifying enemy yet: The 1980s.

“South Park” creator Trey Parker voices the new villain, Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who has grown up to become obsessed with the character he played in the 1980s. Despite his terrible fashion sense, he “proves to be Gru’s most formidable nemesis to date.”

Illumination just posted the first trailer, which features Steve Carell returning as Gru, and Kristen Wiig returning as Lucy. (She tries to create a shipper name with Gru called “Grucy,” but Gru does not approve.) Apparently Carell is also playing Gru’s long-lost twin brother Dru, setting up D3 for some sibling rivalry, in addition to the ’80s villain plot.

Here’s the trailer, which is surprisingly light on Minions:And here’s more on the movie from Illumination:

“The team who brought you Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, returns to continue the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions. Despicable Me 3, directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, co-directed by Eric Guillon, and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, will be released in theaters on June 30, 2017.

The animated film is produced by Illumination’s Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and executive produced by Chris Renaud.

Joining Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig in Despicable Me 3 is Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner Trey Parker, co-creator of Comedy Central’s global phenomenon South Park and the Broadway smash The Book of Mormon. Parker voices the role of villain Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who’s grown up to become obsessed with the character he played in the ’80s, and proves to be Gru’s most formidable nemesis to date.”

“Despicable Me 3” opens June 30, 2017.

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

December 14, 2016