Summary
Despicable Me 4director Chris Renaud discusses the possibility of making a live-actionMinionsmovie. Released in early July,Despicable Me 4has been another successfor Illumination during its theatrical run. It opened to an impressive $75 million, and at the time of writing, has amassed a worldwide gross of over $809 million. It is the third-highest-grossing film of 2024 so far, coming in behind onlyDeadpool & WolverineandInside Out 2.
Speaking withFilm Hounds, Renaud addresses whether he would consider making a live-action version ofMinions. Renaud’s first response about the possibility was a blunt “God, I hope not.” In a more detailed response, the director offers that “what defines the world is that it is animated” and allows the team more creative freedom. He thinks that saidideas would look “completely different if you do a live-action version.“Check out the full quote from Renaud below:
God, I hope not. That’s my answer.
I mean if there were conversations like that, I haven’t been privy to them. But for me, what defines the world is that it is animated and it allows us to get away with what we get away with. Like locking a minion in the vending machine, or you know, blowing up Gru when he attacks Vector (Jason Segel). These are really cartoon ideas, like what would have been in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. I think it just becomes something completely different if you do a live-action version. For me personally, not very appealing. But again, who knows what can happen but that’s my personal feeling about it.
Why Renaud Is Right About Despicable Me’s Animated Status
The Animated To Live-Action Pipeline Is Not Always A Quality One
Given the animated series' track record, it would betempting for the studio to want to make a live-action version ofMinions. After all, bothMinionsspinoff films were smashing successes, with the firstMinionsfilm making $1.1 million worldwide and the second grossing $940 million. TheDespicable Mefranchiseas a whole has been hugely financially successful, with the franchise bringing in over $5 billion worldwide. As a result, the studio might be apt to eke out every possibleDespicable Meiteration that there could be.
To make a live-action Minions work at all, the film would have to rely heavily on CGI.
There is also ahuge trend associated with transforming classic animated works into live-action films. This is seen most prominently withDisney live-action remakes, which include films such asCinderella,The Little Mermaid, andBeauty and the Beast. While this trend most prominently sees classic animated films transformed into live-action, there is precedent for newer works going from the animated to live-action medium. Disney’s 2016 filmMoana, for example, is already getting a live-action adaptation in 2026, just a decade after the original.
All 19 Despicable Me & Minions Villains, Ranked Worst To Best
Despicable Me is a series of films about villains, but in a world full of bad guys, there always has to be one who exceeds all of the others.
Despite these industry pressures, however,Despicable Mewould be right to follow Renaud’s caution. The director is right that what works in animation does not always work in live-action. To make a live-actionMinionswork at all, the film would have to rely heavily on CGI. This live-action adaptation technique has been witnessed before with the live-actionThe Lion King, which, despite its huge financial success, did get ridiculed for essentially being a different type of animated film. Staying in an animated universe, as Renaud recommends, could maintain the integrity of theDespicable Mefranchise.
Despicable Me 4
Cast
The infamous (and kind-hearted) not-super villain Gru returns in Despicable Me 4, the fourth entry in the long-running movie series from Illumination Entertainment. The fourth film also sees the return of Gru’s wife, Lucy, portrayed again by Kristin Wiig, and introduces their son.
