Steve Coogan Joining Voice Cast for 'Despicable Me 2' (Exclusive)

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Steve Coogan

Steve Coogan has joined the voice cast of Despicable Me 2, Universal and Illumination’s sequel to the 2010 hit.

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Steve Carell is returning as the voice of Gru, the supervillain whose heart is melted when he adopts three wee children. Russell Brand and Miranda Cosgrove also return as their respective characters, Dr. Nefario and Margo. New to the cast is Al Pacino as the sequel’s villain. Kristen Wiig, who voiced Miss Hattie in the first movie, returns in a new, unspecified, role for the sequel.

Details of Coogan’s character were not revealed.

The creative team behind Despicable Me is returning for the sequel, including directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin. The film grossed $543 million worldwide.

Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, who have managed to work on every Illumination script including Despicable Me, Hop and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, wrote the script for the new movie.

Illumination founder Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy are producing.

Coogan, repped by ICM and 3Arts Entertainment, was most recently on the big screen in last year's My Idiot Brother. He has Ruby Sparks, the first movie from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris since the duo’s 2006 hit Little Miss Sunshine, and the indie divorce drama What Maisie Knew.