Universal has set a date for a new chapter in the Despicable Me franchise. Despicable Me 4, from the animation house Illumination, will hit theaters on July 3, 2024, the two companies announced Friday. They have also revealed that the new Illumination feature Migration will arrive on June 30, 2023.
Despicable Me 4 will once again voice star Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Miranda Cosgrove and Steve Coogan, with Despicable Me veteran Chris Renaud co-directing with his The Secret Life of Pets partner Patrick Delage. Illumination founder Chris Meledandri is producing the project, which has a script from Mike White, known for School of Rock and the acclaimed HBO series White Lotus. The Despicable Me franchise, centered on Gru (Carell) the world’s greatest supervillain, launched in 2010 and also includes two Minions spinoffs, including the upcoming Minions: The Rise of Gru, due out July 1. The franchise has been strong at the box office, with multiple installments of the series having topped the $1 billion mark.
Migration, meanwhile, follows a family of ducks who convince their over-protective father to go on the vacation of a lifetime that takes them to New England, New York City and the Bahamas. Benjamin Renner, who earned an Oscar nomination for his animated feature Ernest et Célestine, directs, with this project also having a screenplay from White Lotus‘ White. Illumination’s Meledandri is producing. Its release date has it opening opposite of Disney’s Indiana Jones 5.
