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DESPICABLEME2 ProductionNotes

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
4K views49 pages

DESPICABLEME2 ProductionNotes

Uploaded by

Jack Son
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

UNIVERSAL PICTURES Presents A CHRIS MELEDANDRI Production STEVE CARELL

KRISTEN WIIG BENJAMIN BRATT MIRANDA COSGROVE RUSSELL BRAND STEVE COOGAN KEN JEONG ELSIE FISHER DANA GAIER MOISES ARIAS Written by CINCO PAUL & KEN DAURIO Produced by CHRIS MELEDANDRI JANET HEALY Directed by CHRIS RENAUD PIERRE COFFIN
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CAST Gru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STEVE CARELL Lucy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KRISTEN WIIG Eduardo/El Macho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BENJAMIN BRATT Margo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MIRANDA COSGROVE Dr. Nefario. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RUSSELL BRAND Floyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KEN JEONG Silas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STEVE COOGAN Agnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ELSIE FISHER Edith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DANA GAIER Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MOISES ARIAS Jillian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NASIM PEDRAD Shannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KRISTEN SCHAAL Kevin the Minion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIERRE COFFIN Bob the Minion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIERRE COFFIN Stuart the Minion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIERRE COFFIN Additional Minions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIERRE COFFIN CHRIS RENAUD Evil Minions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIERRE COFFIN CHRIS RENAUD Italian Waiter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRIS RENAUD Arctic Lab Guards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NICKOLAI STOILOV Flight Attendant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VANESSA BAYER Additional Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AVA ACRES LORI ALAN JACK ANGEL EVA BELLA GEORGIA COOK JOHN CYGAN DEBI DERRYBERRY JESS HARNELL DANNY MANN MONA MARSHALL MICKIE MCGOWAN MASON MCNULTY ALEC MEDLOCK LARAINE NEWMAN JAN RABSON ANDRE ROBINSON KATIE SILVERMAN CASEY SIMPSON CLAIRA TITMAN
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JAMES KEVIN WARD APRIL WINCHELL CREW Directed by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRIS RENAUD PIERRE COFFIN Produced by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRIS MELEDANDRI JANET HEALY Written by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CINCO PAUL & KEN DAURIO Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GREGORY PERLER ACE Production Designers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . YARROW CHENEY ERIC GUILLON Character Designers. . . . . . . . . . . . . CARTER GOODRICH ERIC GUILLON Original Songs and Themes by . . . . PHARRELL WILLIAMS Score by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HEITOR PEREIRA Computer Graphics Supervisor . . . . BRUNO CHAUFFARD Computer Graphics Co-Supervisor . . . . . . . . BORIS JACQ Associate Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ROBERT TAYLOR Production Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . JEAN LUC FLORINDA Animation Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIERRE LEDUC BRUNO DEQUIER Animation Supervisor . . . . . . LAURENT DE LA CHAPELLE Supervising Animators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIERRE AVON NICOLAS BAUDUIN FRANOIS-XAVIER BOLOGNA JEAN HEMEZ JULIEN SORET EMMANUEL VERGNE Supervising Crowd Animator . . . . . . . . ELISABETH PATTE Character Supervisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JRME GORDON Surfacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ADRIEN BORZAKIAN Rigging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MATHIEU LE MEUR Character Effects . . . . . . . . MILAN VOUKASSOVITCH Hair & Fur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OLIVIER LUFFIN Script & Recording Supervisor . . . . . . . BRETT HOFFMAN Story Supervisor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAVE ROSENBAUM Set Supervisors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FRANOIS LAUNET Surfacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FABIEN POLACK

Set Dressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AXELLE DE COOMAN Rough Layout Supervisor. . . . . . . . . . . RGIS SCHULLER Final Layout Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . VALRIE GABRIEL Effects Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MILO RICCARAND Lighting Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NICOLAS BRACK Compositing Supervisors . . . . . . . . . . . CLINE ALLGRE MARION ROGER LAETITIA YUNG Stereo Supervisor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JOHN R.A. BENSON Stereo Compositing Supervisor . . . . . BENOT PHILIPPON Pipeline Supervisor. . . . . . PIERRICK BRAULT-VANDAME Head of Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BRUNO MAH Character Animation and Computer Graphics provided by. . ILLUMINATION MAC GUFF Illumination Mac Guff Senior Executive . . JACQUES BLED Assistant Computer Graphics Supervisors . . . . . . . . . . . . DAVID PELL QUENTIN RICCI Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GILAD CARMEL CLAIRE DODGSON 1st Assistant Editor (U.S.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAVE CORY 1st Assistant Editor (Paris) . . . . . . . . . . ANDREW WALTON 2nd Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FANNY BOUQUARD Editorial Production Supervisor . . . . . . . . ALEX DOWDING Story Consultant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MIKE REISS Story Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IAN ABANDO DIDIER AH-KOON ERIC FAVELA FABRICE JOUBERT MIKE KIM HABIB LOUATI CHRISTOPHE LOURDELET DAVID LUX STEVE MOORE MATT NEALON MARK OHARE WILLEM PLIJNAAR Additional Story Artists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ERIC DELBECQ DAVID FEISS MARTIN FULLER JOHN HOLMQUIST CAMERON HOOD
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GLENN MCCOY ADAM VAN WYK Set Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LOC RASTOUT OLIVER ADAM PAUL MAGER CHRISTOPHE CHARRITON Colorists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JULIEN BADOIL SERGIO CASAS GRGORY GEORGES CLMENT GRISELAIN COLIN STIMPSON General Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PHILIPPE TILIKETE 3D Character Development . . . . . . . . . . . MICHAEL DEFEO Additional Character Designers . . . . . MAL GOURMELEN PAUL MAGER JRMIE MOREAU CHRIS RENAUD PHILIPPE TILIKETE Art Production Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . CLARE BROOKS Layout Lead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GUY-LAURENT HOMSY Layout Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAMIEN BAPST MAXIME DEVANLAY ROMAIN DURR FRDRIC PEC-EVESQUE JULIEN HASSENFORDER MAXIME LABATE PAULINE MOTARD Final Layout Artists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VICTOR FLEURY VINCENT LEMOIGNE DAVID SUAREZ Layout Production Supervisors . . . . . . JESSICA MEUNIER WASSILA LMOUACI Character Animators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STEVE ALVES HICHEM ARFAOUI SALEM ARFAOUI BENOIT BARGETON ARNAUD BERTHIER CCILE BROSSETTE DANIEL CALLABY ANTOINE COLLET SIMON CUISINER LUC DEGARDIN

PATRICK DELAGE CHRISTOPHE DELISLE JONATHAN DEL VAL GUILLAUME DHONT AXEL DIGOIX PIERRE-FRANOIS DUHAMEL DAMIEN DUPRAT VINCENT EHRHART-DEVAY AUDREY FOBIS GABRIEL GELADE NICOLAS GIBUT JEAN-CHARLES GONIN ADELINE GRANGE BENOIT GUILLAUMOT BASILE HEIDERSCHEID GUILLAUME HRENT SILKE JGER SEBASTIEN KUNERT VINCENT LEMAIRE VINCENT LE STER ALEXANDRE LI XIAOGUANG ADRIEN SOYTY LIV GAL MATCHABELLI MATHIEO MNARD GWNOL OULCHEN YOHAN PELLADEAUD YUNG PHAM BORIS PLATEAU PATRICK PUJALTE CLAUDE RICROS ALEXANDRE RONCO LAURENT ROSSI LUDOVIC ROZ GAL SABOURIN CORENTIN SACR LUDOVIC SAVONNIRE DAMIEN ZEELEN Crowd Animators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIERRE BOTTAI BRICE CHEVILLARD MOISE ESSAME ANTOINE KINGET PAUL LAVAU
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ANAS MALLGOL QUENTIN MAX EDDY OKBA RMI PARISSE CLMENTINE TRONEL BENJAMIN TUSSIOT Sr. Animation Production Supervisor . . . . . . . JOY POIREL Animation Production Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CLINE ROZ-LOCATELLI Character Modeling . . . . . . . . . FRDRIC ALVES-CUNHA FRANOIS BORDEAU MARC ANTOINE CESARI KATARINA DJORDJEVIC DAVID FOURRAGE DAVID GALANTE MATHIEU GAUTIER LAURENT GUITTARD KEVIN HERBRICH GUILLAUME RAJAONA Character Rigging Leads . . . . . . . . NICOLAS COMBECAVE DAVID LIEBARD ERIC SKJOLD MAUHOURAT MATHIEU TRINTZIUS Character Rigging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HERV ARPHI FRDRIC BRUNA NIMOUL BUN CLAUDINE DESPEROUX JIN KABORE AURLIE LAGNEAU PIERRE-ANDR PRUCAUD TONY PH Character Surfacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANNE COULET FRANOIS DEBONNET JRMIE DROULERS BEN FOURNET SARAH MATUSAK Fur & Hair Development . . . . . . . . . . . NATHALIE BONNIN EMMANUELLE DE AMZAGA ROMAIN GRILLON JIMMY LAPLAIGE FRDRIC MAINIL Character Production Supervisor. . . MARLNE THOMAS

Character Effects Animation Leads . . . . . . URIELL PRISER DAVID RODRIGUES Character Effects Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . JOSSELIN JALLUT MATHIEU PIBOULEAU ROMAIN REVERT SBASTIEN STOANOV Character Effects Animators . . . . . . . . RICHARD ADENOT TAMOUZE ARNAOUT JRMY BARRIAL YANN BERTOTHY MATTHIEU BIJAOUI ALICE BOUCHIER ALEXIS BOURGOUIN ANTOINE BRMONT JIM COUDROY ANDR DELPHIN FRED DIN-EBONGUE BENOIT DREVET SYLVAIN DUROYON GUILLAUME GAY DIDIER GROS VINCENT HAUMON DENIS HNON FABRICE LAUTIMLING GWENDOLINE LEBNOUJ GATAN LOUT VINCENT MINELLI GABRIEL NGUYEN STPHANE PIERRISNARD BENJAMIN QUINET FABIEN RIXENS THOMAS ROBILLARD KENNY ROSSET HAIAN SUN GRGORY TALLEC FRDRIC WALZ-GRIS JRMY WAULTER Character FX Production Supervisor . . ALLISON CUSSIGH Sets & Props Modeling. . . . . . . . . . . . . FRANK CLARENC THIBAULT COLLONGES GRGOIRE FORET HORTENSE GOYARD
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ELODIE HICKSON AURLIEN HULOT JRMY MAMO LUDOVIC RAMIRE GILLES ROMAN ANGELA SMALDONE CYRIL THAUVIN NICOLAS VALADE Sets & Props Rigging Lead . . . GUILLAUME BOUDEVILLE Sets & Props Rigging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NICOLAS BRICE JEAN-MARC IMELE Sets & Props Surfacing Lead . . . . . . . VIRGINIE TARAVEL Sets & Props Surfacing . . . . . . . . . NICOLAS COPPOLANI HLNE GALTIER VANESSA LAMBLET MAXIME LEDUC PIERRE LOPES TITOUAN PERROT DELPHINE POTEVIN DAVID RAUTURIER QUENTIN VANDENBONGAARD Set Dresser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LAURA GIARDINI Sets & Props Production Supervisor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ALEXANDRA SKINAZI-FRANCART Effects Animators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DJELLOUL BEKRI FRANOIS-XAVIER BOUSSARD ERIC CARME STEVEN DUPUY ARNAUD GODIN ARASH HABIBI JRME HRENG JEAN-FRANOIS HRENG MATHIEU JORDAN ADRIEN LOURDELLE OMAR MERADI MATHIEU NEGREL MICHAEL PARKER SIMON PATE ROMAIN PRIVAT DE FORTUNI GEOFFREY REYNAUD SBASTIEN ROSSI NICOLAS ZBOROWSKA

Effects Production Supervisor . . . . . . . AMLIE PEYRACHE Matte Painters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JEAN-DENIS COINDRE FRANOIS BELLIART GUILLAUME BENAMOUT Lead Lighting Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIONEL CUENDET SELIM DRAA SOPHIE GUILLOIS THIERRY NOBLET MAX TOURRET DAMIEN VIATTE Lighting Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CDRIC BURKARTH JRME CORDIER YANNICK LECOFFRE VICTOR PAJOT ROMAIN SILVA MACEDO VINCENT BLANQU DMIAN BOUDE CHRISTOPHE BREJON DE LAVERGNE FLORENT CADEL THOMAS DAIRAIN BERTRAND DE BECQUE EPHRAM DROUET BENOIT FOURNOL JOHN HREICH ELODIE LABBE CATIE LEE MICKAEL MANDONNET JEAN-PIERRICK MUGGIANU OLIVIER PRIGENT JULIEN ROCCHI LOC SALMON ARNAUD SERVOUZE ARNAUD TISSEYRE ANTHONY VOISIN Lighting Technical Director . . . . . . . . . . JRME ARTHUIS Lighting Assistant Technical Director. JULIEN LAPERDRIX Lead Compositing Artists. . . . . . . . . . . FLORIAN BESTEL LISE FISCHER STPHANIE MACHURET LAURIANNE PROUDHON MATTHIEU ROUXEL LINDA TRANCHIER
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Compositing Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THOMAS ASSI ROMAIN BLANCHET BASTIEN BRENOT BERTRAND BREUZE SOLNE COLLIGNON CLMENT DARBOIS CLMENT DELATRE FABIEN FLICIT-ZULMA FLORIAN GIRARDOT MICKAEL GOUSSARD ERWIN GRESSER TRISTAN HOCQUET SBASTIEN KLEIN MARC LARGIER FRANOIS LE BASTARD ERWANN LE FAOU JONATHAN LECROART LOC LECYGNE GRGORY LENAIN PHILIPPE LUCINI CLAIRE MANDEL RMI MARTIN VINCENT MARTIN THOMAS MOTHE ANNE-SOPHIE PALERMO MAXIME PORON JULIEN ROGER ISABELLE ROUSSEL MARINE SAMYN GUILLAUME STAERK JULIEN TROUCHET FRANOIS TURQUETY FLORIAN VELASCO KEVIN WILLMERING Sr. Finaling Production Supervisor . . DELPHINE LE ROCH Finaling Production Supervisors . . . . . . RAFAL CURULLA MATTHIEU SKROVEC Sr. Pipeline Technical Directors . . . . EMMANUEL PREVOT DAMIEN BELLANTAN Pipeline Technical Directors . . . . . JULIEN DEPOORTERE HENRI DESOUS MATTHIEU GOUIN

ALEXANDRA HOFF JULIETTE TRESAL-MAUROZ PASCAL CHANDELIER Supervising Technical Director . . . . . . ETIENNE PCHEUX Technical Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . CDRIC CHAPELEAU DORIAN FEVRIER LOURENT HUBERT LOIC HUSS FLAVIO PEREZ ERIC PLACOLY OLIVIER SCHMITT Information Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAVID GUEDJ SEAN LEE DAVID LEROUX ANTHONY NEEL MICHAEL ROY JOE STEVANO MOSTAFA YACOUBI Render Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THOMAS FONCELLE Render Wranglers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SYLVAIN BLROL ILYAS CHODKIEWICZ JOS-MARIA PEREZ Head of Research & Development . . PHILIPPE DELORME Software Developers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FRDRIC CROS JULIEN FRANTZ MARC GIROU LUDOVIC LEFVE-GOURMELON THIERRY LAUTHELIER BENOIT LEPAGE GEOFF LEVNER SBASTIEN MASINO THOMAS MTAIS BAPTISTE SANSIERRA ALEXANDRE VERLHAC Technology Production Supervisor . . . . CAMILLE CHAINE Financial Controller. . . . . . . . . . . . . GARY WOHLLENBEN Finance Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JULIEN SABOURDIN Accounting Controller. . . . . . . . . LAWRENCE BENDELAC Finance Department. . . . . . . GEORGE HIRO HERRMANN JULIEN VIRGILE Accounting Department . . . . . . . . HUMBERTO MEZA, JR. CARLOS ROCADAS
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VALRIE DOMPNIER AXEL BOURGEON IMG Head of Production . . . . . . . . CHRISTELLE BALCON Technical Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRISTOPHE ASSELIN General Production Coordinator . . . . . . . . ED CORCORAN Editorial Coordinators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TYLER WERRIN CLINE LE BARBENCHON-VIRGILE Animation Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THOMAS LAFFIN Sweatbox Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAN BITTON Lighting & Compositing Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHARLES SEIGNOLLE Production Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MATTHEW KAUTH KELLY LAKE Additional Production Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . MIKE BARRY CLAIRE BROOKS RORY PHILLIPS CONNIE THOMPSON Additional Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CARLA HOOL Dialect Coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JULIE ADAMS Recruiting Supervisor . . . . . JEAN-JACQUES BENHAMOU Assistants to Chris Meledandri . . . . . . . . . . . LYNLEY BIRD RACHEL FEINBERG KATIE KIRNAN Assistant to Janet Healy. . . . . . . . . . . . LAURE GAUTHIER Interns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRISTOFFER ANDERSON FLORIANE DEAL MARIANNA FERRANTE GRALDINE GASTON GUILLAUME LEMAIRE THOMAS PIERRE STINE SAETHRE HADRIEN SIROT FLAVIEN TOULLEC Postproduction Supervisor. . . . . . . . . JEANNINE BERGER Postproduction Sound Services by. . SKYWALKER SOUND Sound Designer . . . . . . . . . CHRISTOPHER SCARABOSIO Supervising Sound Editor. . . . . . . . . . DENNIS LEONARD Re-Recording Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GARY RIZZO TOM JOHNSON ADR/Dialogue Supervisor. . . . BJRN OLE SCHROEDER Sound Effects Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MAC SMITH E.J. HOLOWICKI

JON BORLAND Foley Supervisor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E. LARRY OATFIELD Foley Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FRANK AGLIERI-RINELLA ERIK FOREMAN Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . QUAINBAIHUI YANG Additional Re-Recording Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHRISTOPHER BARNETT CHRISTOPHER SCARABOSIO Foley Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RONNI BROWN SEAN ENGLAND Foley Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TONY ECKERT Foley Recordist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAN RANDALL Assistant Re-Recording Mixers . . . . . . . . . . ZACH MARTIN JAMES SPENCER STEPHEN URATA Recordist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KEVIN BOLEN Engineering Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JAMES AUSTIN BRIAN LONG Digital Editorial Support . . . . . . . . . . . . DANNY CACCAVO RYAN FRIAS BONNIE WILD Digital Audio Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MARCO ALICEA JOHN COUNTRYMAN MICHAEL LEVINE ADR Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DOC KANE Conductor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NICK GLENNIE-SMITH Score Recording and Mixing Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ALAN MEYERSON Assistant Mixing Engineer . . . . . . . . CHRISTIAN WENGER Score Recordist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KEVIN GLOBERMAN Orchestrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LADD MCINTOSH Music Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOOKER WHITE Additional Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOBBY TAHOURI ANTHONY WILLIS Music Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SLAMM ANDREWS Composer Assistants . . . . . . . . . . CAMERON HOTCHKIS TED REEDY AZEO TORRE SEBASTIAN ZULETA Music Contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PETER ROTTER Vocal Contractor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JASPER RANDALL Scoring Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TIM LAUBER
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DENIS ST. AMAND TOM STEEL Additional Recordings at . STUDIO M-REMOTE CONTROL Digital Intermediate by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EFILM Colorist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JASON HANEL Digital Intermediate Producer. . . . . . . . . . EILEEN GODOY Digital Intermediate Editor . . . . . . . CURTIS LINDERSMITH Digital Intermediate Assistant Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LAURA HOLEMAN Colorist Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LUIS SILVA Imaging Scientist . . . . . . . . . . . . . MATTHEW TOMLINSON Color Timer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JIM PASSON Laboratory Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DIGIMAGE CINMA

TASER is a registered trademark of TASER International, Inc.

Special Thanks to ERIC GARANDEAU CHIHIRO KAMEYAMA IGOR PRIMAULT DANIEL POOL-KOLB AGNS REAULT

SOUNDTRACK ON BACK LOT MUSIC

FUN FUN FUN Written and Performed by Pharrell Williams Produced by Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes Courtesy of Star Trak Entertainment/Interscope Records

CHIQUITA BANANA (THEME SONG) Written by Garth Montgomery, Leonard Mckenzie, William Wirges Under license by Chiquita Vocals Performed by Pierre Cofn

ANOTHER IRISH DRINKING SONG Written by Greg DiCostanzo, Paul Sabourin Vocals Performed by Pierre Cofn

LOVES THEME Written by Barry White Performed by Love Unlimited Orchestra Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

ITALIAN TARANTELLA Traditional Performed by Andrew Driscoll Courtesy of Clifton Bishop Media LLC HAPPY

WIEGENLIED: GUTEN ABEND, GUTE NACHT OP. 49, NO. 4 Written by Johannes Brahms Vocal Performed by Chris Renaud

Written and Performed by Pharrell Williams Produced by Pharrell Williams JAMMING Written by Bob Marley Produced and Performed by Ali Dee

SUPER GIRL Written by Samantha Marq, Harold Brown, Jessica Payo Performed by Samantha Marq Courtesy of Riptide Music Inc. DONT STOP THE PARTY Written by Armando Perez, Jorge Martinez Gomez, Jose Garcia, Thomas Rozdilsky, Frederick Hibbert Performed by Pitbull (feat. TJR) JUST A CLOUD AWAY Written and Performed by Pharrell Williams Produced by Pharrell Williams Pitbull appears courtesy of Polo Grounds Music/RCA Records/Mr. 305 Inc. By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment TJR appears courtesy of Rising Music through CIELITO LINDO Produced and Performed by Ali Dee Three Six Zero Group Ltd. WHERE THEM GIRLS AT Written by Tramar Dillard, Giorgio Tuinfort, Nicki Minaj, CIELITO LINDO From Mariachi Medley: Cielito Lindo/La Negra Written by Quirino Fidelino Mendoza y Corts Performed by Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri Courtesy of Universal Music Latino Under license from Universal Music Enterprises Sandy Wilhelm, Oscar Salinas, Juan Salinas, Jared Cotter, Michael Caren, David Guetta Performed by David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida David Guetta appears courtesy of What A Music Ltd./EMI Music France Under license from EMI Film & Television Music Nicki Minaj appears courtesy of Cash Money Records IN THE SUMMERTIME Written by Ray Dorset Performed by Mungo Jerry Courtesy of Sanctuary Records Group Ltd. Under license from Universal Music Enterprises ECHA PALLA (MANOS PARRIBA) FUNICULI FUNICUL Written by Luigi Denza Performed by Andrew Driscoll Courtesy of Clifton Bishop Media LLC
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Under license from Universal Music Enterprises Flo Rida appears courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

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(L to R) Gru (STEVE CARELL) has a big talk with Margo (MIRANDA COSGROVE), Agnes (ELSIE FISHER) and Edith (DANA GAIER) in Despicable Me 2.

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainments worldwide blockbuster Despicable Me entertained audiences around the globe in 2010, grossing more than $540 million and becoming the 10th -biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history. In summer 2013, get ready for more Minion madness in Despicable Me 2. CHRIS MELEDANDRI and his acclaimed lmmaking team create an all-new comedy adventure

featuring the return of (former?) super-villain Gru (STEVE CARELL of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who!), his adorable girls, the unpredictably hilarious Minions...and a host of new and outrageously funny characters. Now that the ever-entrepreneurial Gru has left behind a life of super crime to raise Margo (MIRANDA COSGROVE of televisions iCarly), Edith (DANA GAIER of Bullied) and Agnes (ELSIE FISHER of

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The Minions take a quick lunch break.

televisions Masha and the Bear), Gru, Dr. Nefario (RUSSELL BRAND of Get Him to the Greek, Hop) and the Minions have some free time on their hands. But as he starts to adjust to his role as a suburban family man, an ultra-secret organization dedicated to ghting evil around the globe comes knocking. Now, its up to Gru and his new partner, Lucy Wilde (KRISTEN WIIG of Bridesmaids, TVs Saturday Night Live), to discover who is responsible for a spectacular crime and bring him to justice. After all, it takes the worlds greatest ex-villain to catch the one vying to take his place Joining the returning cast for Despicable Me 2 are KEN JEONG (The Hangover trilogy, televisions Community) as Floyd Eagle-san, proprietor of the local hair replacement club for men and key suspect in the most despicable crime to hit the globe since Gru departed the game; STEVE COOGAN (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Tropic Thunder) as Silas Ramsbottom, Lucys boss in the Anti-Villain League and a superspy whose surname offers an endless source of amusement to the Minions; MOISES ARIAS (Hannah Montana, The Secret World of Arrietty) as Antonio, the oh-so-suave object of Margos girlhood affection (and Grus supreme annoyance); and BENJAMIN BRATT (Miss Congeniality, Snitch)

as Eduardo Perez, Antonios father, owner of Salsa & Salsa restaurant, and the man who may or may not be the most macho super-villain who ever villained, El Macho. Despicable Me 2 marks a reunion for the inaugural films t wo d i r e c t o r s Oscar nominee CHRIS RENAUD (Annie Award-win n ing short No Time for Nuts, Dr. Seuss The Lorax) & PIERRE COFFIN (upcoming Minions ) who brought the f irst adventure to vibrant and unexpected life. The lm is pro d uced by Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri ( Despicable Me , Hop , Dr. Seuss The Lorax, Ice Age fran chise), in his third collaboration with fellow pro ducer JANET HEALY (Despicable Me, Hop, Shark Tale). Leading the talented behind-the-scenes team is an accomplished crew, led by editor GREGORY PERLER ( Despicable Me , Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit ), as well as production designers YARROW CHENEY ( Despicable Me , Dr. Seuss The Lorax ) and ERIC GUILLON ( Despicable Me , Dr. Seuss The Lorax ). They are supported by the creator of the original songs and themes for Despicable Me 2 , Grammy Award-winning artist and blockbuster music producer PHARRELL WILLIAMS. He is joined by HEITOR PEREIRA ( Despicable Me , Beverly Hills Chihuahua ), who returns to the series to compose the score. The 3-D CGI lm is written by CINCO PAUL & KEN DAURIO (Dr. Seuss The Lorax, Despicable Me, Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who!).

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ABOUT THE PRODUCTION


Life Post-Villainy:
Despicable Me 2 Begins

that had been formed suggested many different places that we could go with the story. But we knew that the underlying core was going to be about the evo lution of this family. That was absolutely clear. The creative team behind Despicable Me returns for Despicable Me 2 with a unied goal: to honor what worked so well in the rst story, to amplify those elements through character and story, and deliver the combustible mixture of the sweet, the subversive and the unexpected that had such an impact on audiences. Meledandri acknowledges that this was no accident: The team that made Despicable Me over a four-year period was nothing short of extraordinary. From our incredibly talented directors, Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin; to our writers, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio; to my producing partner, Janet Healy; and all of the animators, designers, storyboard artists, technical directors, sound mixersthere were hundreds of people who brought their talents together to realize this wonderful lm. I am fortunate enough to have them back to make the sequel. The relationship that was forged through the rst lm has translated into shorthand and a collaborative spirit on the second lm thats extraordinary. Healy reects that this easy rapport among her colleagues made for a much more uid process this time around: Because Despicable Me 2 represents a reunion of the same crew, we knew one another very

In Despicable Me, we were introduced to our protagonist, super-villain Gru, who was given a monumental challenge when he encountered three orphan girls who unexpectedly changed his life. The arc of the relationship between Gru and Margo, Edith and Agnes was the heartbeat of this animated adventure, and remains an essential element in what has grown into a franchise. As the filmmakers approached the story for Despicable Me 2, they felt that the ending of the rst movieGru realizing how much he loved the girls was truly a beginning for the characters. The formation of this unusual family, and how they will move forward, provided a rich and identiable point of engagement for moviegoers across the globe who saw their unique families reected in this animated one. After Despicable Mes success, what became clear to the team was that the rst lm served as a launching pad. Illumination Entertainment CEO Chris Meledandri elaborates that it was the outpouring of support that ensured that there would be more tales of Gru and his family: After Despicable Mes success, it was clear that we wanted to make another lm. The storytelling process of determining what was going to happen in the next lm was a natural evolution. Ive never had an experience where a conversation about a sequel was as organic as it was with Despicable Me 2 . The Gru makes a special appearance at Agnes birthday party. characters and relationships
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Renaud explains the conundrum: If Grus not a super-villain, how does that feel? In the rst lm, we established his love of villainy. He wanted to steal the moon. He had these great big plans and wanted to prove himself to be the best villain, even if he wasnt. He had all these Minions, Dr. Nefario, this whole team, his lab. He was a gruff guy who loved that life. If he makes the decision to leave that behind because its best for his family, how does he feel about that and what should he do next? The director is the rst to admit that he Anti-Villain League agent Lucy Wilde (KRISTEN WIIG) is on the case. didnt want to return to this world unless well and how to complement one anothers strengths. there was a logical story to tell about it. Says Renaud: It made it much easier to revisit these characters in Youre hoping, particularly if people respond well to the this world. This allowed us to think more about what rst lm, that youve told the story that those characters their story would be this time because we didnt have to were meant to tell. So we all felt strongly about rising gure out the look of the picture or how bad Gru should up to this challenge and nding a new aspect of this be or the characters of the girls. It was all there for us familys story. How does the character of Gru evolve? to mine. How do the Minions evolve? Whats a different way In Despicable Me 2, we pick up with Gru, the girls we can play with them? Despicable Me 2 is about the and the Minions, and we see what life for them looks extension ofor potential completion ofthat family. like post-villainy. For Gru, there are practical questions Screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio came that he has to answer: Is he capable of being a good up with just the idea: Gru decides to convert his father and leaving the exciting (not to mention lucrative) underground lair into a factory for a legitimate business world of villainy behind? How will he provide for his venture: a signature line of homemade jellies and jams. daughters and continue to employ Dr. Nefario and the Theres just one big problem: the product is absolutely Minions now that the spoils of wickedness are in his terrible, so this scheme quickly falls apart. Still, whats past? Sums Meledandri: For Gru, its life after villainy, more troubling for Gru is that his longtime associate and now his primary responsibility is his family. Hes and resident mad scientist/inventor, Dr. Nefario, deeply trying to gure out how to support them and has started misses the business of being evil and decides to leave a cottage industry in his lab. Hes retrotted his lab to Grus employ. Now Gru has even fewer resources become a jam and jelly factory. available to him. This weighs heavily on him and affects Still, Gru purists need fear not that our anti-hero his ability to adequately care for his three girls and the has been watered down or lost his edge. It was crucial hundreds of Minions who rely upon him. to the team that they kept many elements of the freezeAs Gru struggles to adjust to his role as a suburban ray-trigger-happy, iron-maiden-housing misanthrope family man, an ultra-secret organization dedicated that we have grown to love. to ghting evil around the globe comes calling. The
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Anti-Villain League (AVL) offers Gru the opportunity to help it uncover the mastermind responsible for a spectacular heist we see unfold in the opening sequence of the lm. After all, it becomes abundantly clear, who better than the worlds greatest ex-villain to catch the one who thinks he can take his mantle? It also doesnt hurt that they conduct their covert ops out of the worlds coolest submarine. Coffin explains a bit more about this super-secret organizationsone thats only interested in hunting you down if youre gunning to vaporize Mt. Fuji, melt the polar ice caps or, ahem, steal the moonrole in the plot: If I can take the James Bond analogy, then the Anti-Villain League is MI-6. Theyre the good guys who have all the cool gadgets. The moral aspect of their work is, basically, Oh, the world is in danger. We gotta save it! For them to call Gru is an effort. But they ultimately understand that there is no one better to recognize a bad guy than one of his kin.

Energized by being back in the game (albeit on the other side of the law), Gru balances his new topsecret job with the realities of being a father. So what is new with the girls? Agnes is as adorable and innocent as ever, but also keenly feeling the absence of a mother in their very unconventional home. Edith thinks Gru is the coolest guy on Earth, and is secretly disappointed that his villainous lifestyle is over. For her part, Margo is at the age where she starts thinking about boys, a horrifying thought for Gru, and one that sits uncomfortably next to his own reluctance to date. Meledandri shares that part of the secret to this storys success is that these four characters remind us of ourselves: The core of the rst lm is this family unit, an unlikely one, but one made of disenfranchised characters who come together and form their own unique family. Even though they are dissimilar to any other family that we may know, so much of what Grus

Lucy matches weapons with Gru. 15

kids on the schoolyard. He shut the door on ever experiencing that type of rejection again. However, his girls think the best thing for him is to get back into the dating scene. Coffin thinks that what set Despicable Me apart from many other lms in the animated genre is the movies embrace of deep human emotion, specically love. He says: We wanted to have the heart of the movie become an El Macho (BENJAMIN BRATT) is the most macho super-villain who ever villained. evolution of that. Grus now experienceas well as Agnes, Edith and Margos alone to raise the girls, and the most logical next step experienceis utterly relatable to us. for him is to nd his loved one, his soul mate. And that When Gru goes undercover to seek out the identity would be Lucy. Grus not the only one who will be of the most audacious super-villain currently being changed by Lucys back-springing into his life. Seeing tracked by the AVL, he is partnered (against his will) Gru with the girls will spark something in Lucy. Plus, with novice AVL agent Lucy Wilde, whose enthusiasm her admiration for all the deeds hes done in the past, for her job is matched only by her outsize personality. like stealing the moon, will grow on her and make her For Gru, its dislike at rst sight. He hadnt counted on fall in love. being assigned a partner, and everything about Lucy So just who is this elusive cad that Gru and Lucy are just rubs him the wrong wayat least at rst. trying to nd, one capable of using an enormous ying As Gru and Lucy set up a stakeout within a cupcake magnet ship to steal a secret research lab in the Arctic shop at a local mall, he nds himself having to face a Circle? Gru grows convinced that a famous villain from question hes avoided all of his life. Still feeling the sting the pastEl Machois behind the heist that opens our of rejection in a childhood schoolyard, is Gru capable lm. But the AVL, run by Silas Ramsbottom, is much of an adult relationshipand maybe even love? Agnes more skeptical. After all, El Macho supposedly died in isnt the only one secretly crossing her ngers that this a spectacularly macho way some years earlier. Trusting will happen. in his instincts, Gru is resolute in his belief that El Meledandri appreciated that the writers dug even Macho has adopted the guise of Eduardo Perez, the deeper into Grus troubled past. After all, great superowner of Salsa & Salsa restaurant in the Paradise Mall. villains arent simply born; theyre made. He offers up: As the story unfolds, Gru and Lucy pursue their One of the things that we discover is that Gru has no investigation, and we discover that Eduardo, the loving, social life and absolutely is resistant to even thinking light-on-his feet father who ordered cupcakes for a Cinco about starting one. We trace this back to Gru as a young de Mayo party, is actually the infamous El Macho. But boy when he was about seven or eight. The response to what is El Machos master plan, and what does it have to his request of a girl was massive humiliation from all the do with some of Grus Minions being abducted?
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Finding humor in an all-audience lm is quite a tricky process. Naturally, the lmmakers didnt care to alienate either young children or adults with their artistic choices; they wanted something that was enjoyable for all ages. Meledandri shares: That process happens organically because our wonderfully talented writers, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, and our directors, Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, make the lm for themselves. They happen to be parents, but they are not trying to make the lm for adults and theyre not trying to make the lm for kids. Theyre making the lm so they nd it engaging and entertaining. With story, motivations, plot and characters set, Meledandri, Healy and the directors were off to the races for Despicable Me 2. So lets give you a guide to whos who in the world of Gru.

of his girls growing up and wanting desperately to ask a woman out on a date. Both of which cause him to totally freak out. Lucy (Kristen Wiig) is a cunning secret agent who has teamed up with Gru to hunt down an extremely dangerous super-villain. She loves one-upping Gru with her quirky gadgets and has perfected her own form of martial arts by combining Jujitsu, Krav Maga, Aztec warfare and krumping. Unlike Gru, she has trouble containing her overabundance of joy and excitement, which tends to draw unwanted attentionespecially when going under cover. She keeps pace with Gru, despite always looking stylish in her six-inch heels. Margo (Miranda Cosgrove) is Grus oldest daughter and the backbone of the family. Shes the responsible one who looks out for her sisters and keeps the family together. However, now that shes growing up, she becomes preoccupied with texting her friends and starts noticing boys her age, which drives Gru crazy. Edith (Dana Gaier), Grus middle daughter, is an incredibly mischievous and sarcastic tomboy. She asks for forgiveness rather than permission. She is going through a ninja phase and is always looking for an opportunity to take part in Grus secret-agent action. She loves to play pranks and cause trouble with Dr. Nefarios gadgets.

Krumpers and Shark Cowboys:


Whos Despicable?
Now that Gru has (mostly) hung up his freeze ray and is in the business of making barely digestible jellies and jams, hes earned a few more friends (as well as his fair share of enemies). Below is a guide to the returning and new dastardly and delightful players who populate Grus world: Gru (Steve Carell), one of the worlds greatest supervillains, has given up his despicable ways and is now on a quest to become the perfect dad. While juggling all that, he is recruited by a super-secret crime-f ighting organization, which puts him in the unlikely position of having to work with the good guys to help save the world. Usually fearless, Gru is now coping with the challenges

The Minions get a taste of Lucys lipstick taser.

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Gru tucks eldest daughter Margo into bed.

El Macho (Benjamin Bratt) is the most ruthless, dangerous, and as his name implies, macho villain there ever was. That is until he died riding a shark into the mouth of an active volcano with 250 pounds of dynamite strapped to his chest. However, his body was never found, and all that was ever retrieved was a pile of singed chest hair. Eduardo (Benjamin Bratt) is the extremely warm, charming and irty owner of the popular Salsa & Salsa restaurant whose passionate Latin dancing causes women to swoon. He has a larger-than-life personality that is dwarfed only by the size of his waistline. But is Eduardo secretly the No. 1 super-villain on the AVLs most wanted list? Antonio (Moises Arias) is Eduardos cute, rebellious and condent son. He is a ladies man just like his father, and when Margo sees him in the mall and their eyes lockits all over. He feels the same way about her and is willing to stand up to an overprotective Gru to get closer to the girl he loves. Floyd (Ken Jeong) is one of the shop owners at the local mall where Gru and Lucy work secretly undercover. Floyd runs the Eagle Hair Club for Men and has the perfect suggestion for how to make Gru more attractive to the ladies who are, ahem, lining up to date him. Beneath his outlandish exterior, Floyd may or may not have a very dark side. Species unknown, possibly a cross between a pit bull and a piranha with the attitude to match, Kyle is Grus guard dog. When he rst met the girls, all he could think about was trying to eat them. Now, he cant imagine his life without their tucking him into bed every night.

Agnes (Elsie Fisher) is Grus youngest daughter and the heart of the family. Shes obsessed with unicorns and anything uffy. Shes so adorable that her hugs can melt even the hardest super-villains heart. Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) is Grus trusted, slightly forgetful, and very, very old mad scientist. Hes losing his hearing, which causes him to accidentally invent weapons with disastrously unintended consequences. With Gru busy being a dad, Dr. Nefario begins to long for the good-old days when they were focused on doing evil. Grus loyal yellow, gibberish-speaking Minions (Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud) love causing mis chief and mayhem almost as much as they love bananas. They are easily distracted and can be unpredictable, curious and subversively sweet. They are extremely competitive with each other. This can lead to sudden slap ghts, but if someone from the outside tries to harm them or Grus family, they become ercely protective. Evil Minions (Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud) are the purple, crazy-haired and even more dim-witted versions of Grus happy yellow Minions. They are indestructible, mindless eating machines that not only eat everything in your refrigerator, but they eat the refrigerator as well!

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Family Evolution:
Casting Comic Talent
What attracted Steve Carell to the role of the curmudgeonly, oddly-accented super-villain with a heart of gold was that Despicable Me offered something for children and adults alike. He reects upon why he chose to voice Gru, a character who nds that raising children is not all sunshine and lollipops: Im a parent with two little kids, and I identied with the story in the rst lm because it was honest in its depiction. Having kids completely changes a persons life, in all the best ways. When the rst movie was released to worldwide acclaim, Carell was thrilled that audiences wholly embraced the tale he so loved upon rst read. He enjoyed bringing Grus idiosyncrasies to life, noting: Kids could relate and enjoy the humor; parents related to what kids bring to the equation. In that sense, its universal. But it was also funny, exciting and silly at times. Whereas so many animated lms are designed as a delivery mechanism for pratfalls and go for the

cheap joke, the rst adventure surprised many with its mix of heart and humor. Notes Carell: These lms are animated but very human. Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 are smart, funny and heartfelt without being cloying or overly sentimental. They tug the heart strings just enough without going too far. The writers did such a great job creating something special and unique. As the characters in this nontraditional family evolved, so did Carells perception of them. E.g., the performer identied with Grus struggle to let Margo begin to grow up and go out on a date with Antonio. He explains: One of Grus daughters starts to enter the dating scene, and that is an enormous transition for him, as it is for most dads. When they see their daughters maturing and becoming interested in boys, suddenly theyre not the apple of their daughters eyes. There is, I wouldnt even say a jealousy but there is a tension that comes about between a father and a potential suitor. Meledandri commends that there would be no series without the stellar performance work of Carell.

Gru and the Minions bid farewell to Dr. Nefario (RUSSELL BRAND). 19

The Minions enjoy a little R&R.

He gives: From the early days of the rst lm, Steve has been a creative partner in the making of Despicable Me. We were so drawn to him for this role because we wanted an actor who brought empathy in his voice and performance. Not only was Gru a villain, but he is grouchy and acerbic and edgy. Yet, we knew that in order for the lm to work that audiences needed to like him. Steve has helped to forge this and dene the character. There has been tremendous writing in response to many of his instincts about how Gru should evolve and the specic denition of his personality. When last we met Gru, the only thing about him that was unchanged was his dark wardrobe. Gru was not only adjusting to life post super-villainy, he was bal ancing his time as new father to three young girls and the last thing he thought hed have time for is a burgeoning romance. But thats exactly what he nds when he meets Special Agent Lucy Wilde, the AVLs most energetic operative. While theyre both focused upon solving a case and finding a super-villain who could put the entire world in peril, they nd an unexpected, but not altogether unwelcome, romance. The comedienne who brings life to Lucy is the same actor who played a pivotal role in Despicable Me. The producers and directors were so delighted by Kristen Wiigs work as Southern belle Miss Hattie, the acerbic orphanage matron in the rst lm, that they asked her

back to play the female lead in this chapter. Wiig explains how her participation in the project came about: I was so happy that I was able to be in both lms, and when I heard that they wanted me to play a different character in the second one, I was beyond thrilled that they would give me the opportunity. As was Carell, Wiig was a bit taken aback by the global success of Despicable Me. She relays: The rst lm was unexpected, and I loved that the lead character is this horrible villain. Still, its a sweet, funny story with great music about this awkward guy opening his heart and nding himself, as well as a family. It has a great message and has a lot of action and comedy. Discussing this chapter, she offers: People want to see where it left off. At the end of the rst lm, you wonder how its going to work with this new family. Now, you see them as a unit and you see them evolve. Despicable Me 2 is funny and has lots of action, and its a smart, sweet story. While the actress is known as the woman of a thousand faces and voices on Saturday Night Live as well as from a lm career that skyrocketed with the release of Bridesmaids (which she also co-wrote) Wiig admits there is a freedom to vocalizing animation. She says: Physically you can be doing anything with your face or body because it isnt about how you look. The scripted lines and the story were so smart that you could just have fun with it. Her lmmaking team was thrilled with her vocal work for the quirky heroine who immediately bests Gru upon rst matchup. Provides Meledandri: Lucy is one of the most surprising and distinctive female characters that I have seen in an animated lm. She is incredibly self-directed, and though she may look a bit nutty, she is actually quite powerful when it comes

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to getting her way. I cant imagine anybody other than Kristen Wiig portraying her. Lucy is unlike any Kristen character Ive seen before, and when you watch her in the lm, you realize that the animators and our directors were taking great inspiration from the voice track that she provided. The producer appreciated the arc that Paul and Daurio created for Gru and Lucy. He says: A wonderful thing happens through the course of the movie. As Gru begins to realize that he actually likes his new partner, and these are feelings that sneak up on him, the audiences response is moving in sync with Grus response. The chemistry of Steves and Kristens performances is undeniable. Now that the girls are over the issues that they had with Gru in the rst lm, they are rmly ensconced in their lives together. In turn, the same three actresses return to these denitive roles. Shares Renaud: We have the same terric young ladies playing Agnes, Edith and Margo: Elsie Fisher, Dana Gaier and Miranda Cosgrove. Whats fun is that the girls have gotten a little older and a bit more mature. Agnes, of course, is still cute, and Edith is still acting out a bit. Through half the this lm, shes dressed as a ninja, which is one of those weird, fun things that kids doand thats fair enough. Margo is discovering boys, and seeing Grus reaction to that, as the father of a daughter myself, is one of the more fun elements to experience. Portraying Grus eldest, Margo, is actress Miranda Cosgrove, known for her starring role in Nickelodeons long-running juggernaut hit iCarly. On her return to the series, Cosgrove provides: I was excited to make Despicable Me 2 because I had so much fun making the rst movie. She

catches us up on her character, one whose own desire to nd love mirrors Grus: Margo has grown up a bit, and she denitely sees Gru more as her dad. You can tell that theyre a family now. And its also cool because she has her rst love interest; that was fun playing those scenes because Margo is completely enamored with this guy. I just tried to remember my rst crush when I was in elementary school. Cosgrove concurs with Wiig about what makes the series unique: One of my favorite things about Despicable Me, even though its this crazy fantasy world, is that there are also a lot of relatable things, like dating. Theres a character for everyone to relate to. When my Dad went to see the rst movie, he loved Gru and the idea of getting to be the hero. Then there are characters for the younger kids, like the three girls who are all very different. Middle sister Edith is once again played by Dana Gaier, a young actress who is quick to admit that she and her on-screen character are not so dissimilar. Laughs Gaier: Edith and I have some similarities. We both denitely like to make trouble, and we both like to tease our sisters. I have an older sister, and I cant say that theres a time when I dont want to make fun of her a little bit. Its the sibling love.

Gru attempts to understand his new partner, Lucy.

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She has different personalities: Sometimes shes crazy, then sweet, and then sometimes shes just adorable. Agnes is like me because were always changing our emotions, depending on where we are. Sometimes were sassy, and sometimes were funny and adorable and crazy. When it came to drawing from personal experience to unleash her inner yellerwhile on the run from evil Minions Fisher admits that it wasnt too Restaurateur Eduardo Perez (BENJAMIN BRATT) talks shop with Gru. difcult to get into character. For While Margo is the overprotective big sister who is one rough scene, she drew from a scary memory. The falling in love for the rst time and Agnes is the doe- young actress shares: I have a dog, Allie, and one time eyed baby of the family, Edith remains on constant she almost got ran over, so I cried and screamed. Out of vigilance. Says Gaier: Ediths fearlessness makes her that, I remembered for Despicable Me that I might have a good role model. Kids should admire the fact that to scream, so I screamed really, really loud. And then, I shes not afraid to face situations head-on. I started the just practiced and practiced and I got louder and scarier rst lm in the sixth grade, and every time I came in and screamier. and did a recording session and learned more about the Grus family wouldnt be complete without the lms, I just fell more in love with the story and with the doddering, delightful Dr. Nefario, who is just as hard of character of Edith. hearing as ever in the series new chapter. Once again, Last, but certainly not least is Agnes, voiced with comedian Russell Brand brings his signature wit and unequivocal joy by young Elsie Fisher. Though she humor to the role of the scientic brains behind Grus was only four when she began providing vocals for the ambitious schemes. Nefario, tired of making foulcharacter, the infectious Fisher almost stole the lm tasting jams and jellies, longs for the days when it was out from under Gru and the Minions (Its so uffy!). just villainy, villainy, villainy. When he makes his abrupt Perhaps most succinctly, Fisher describes the experience (well, as abrupt as Nefario can go anywhere) departure, of watching her animated self on the big screen: When Gru, the girls and especially the Minions mourn the I saw the movie in the theater, it was amazing. I felt like absence of the senior member of their family. But dont I was watching myself in a mirror. count out Nefarios ability to accidentally drag a certain With a penchant for hugs and adorable non sequiturs, single parent back into his schemes. Agnes is a erce loyalist. She captured the hearts of Joining our returning voice talent are two seasoned the Minions the minute they made her a favorite toy comics, one young actor who has been stealing scenes out of a toilet scrub brush, and she will ght for her on television and a multitalented performer who has family to stay together. Explains Fisher: Agnes is a effortlessly straddled the worlds of lm and TV since sweet girl, and shes always going to be Daddys Girl. his career began.
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Best known for his role as the duplicitousand occasionally back from the deadgangster Mr. Chow in The Hangover series, Ken Jeong comes aboard the series as Floyd Eagle-san. The AVL has its eyes on Floyd as the most likely suspect in a recent super-crime spree, but Gru is quite certain that this owner of a hair club for follicly challenged gentlemen is innocent of any crimes. Floyd is more comfortable disseminating bad hair wisdom than he is cooking up schemes for global domination. A celebrated comic actor from across the pond, Steve Coogan, appears as Silas Ramsbottom, the very British boss of Lucy at the AVL who recruits Gru because of the former super-villains reputation in the eld. Meledandri was glad that the actor was willing to join the team: Steves vocal abilities are just outstanding. He has such a rich voice and brings an incredibly dry sense of humor to the character. Its not possible for this man to utter a line that doesnt sing the minute he says it. While 21-year-old performer Moises Arias is most well-known for his work as Rico on the smash television series Hannah Montana, he has done voice work on lms from Astro Boy to The Secret World of Arrietty. In Despicable Me 2, Arias plays Antonio, the just-as-light-on-his-feet dancing son of Eduardo Perez and supreme irt who wants to steal Margos heart. Coffin shares that Antonio ratchets up the tension in Grus household: Having a daughter who is falling in love with a boy makes a father very nervous, obviously. And so how would you react? You would want to react like Gru does: Youd want to freeze ray him. For the pivotal double role of Eduardo Perez and El Macho, the lmmakers were fortunate to land the multitalented Benjamin Bratt. The

uber-charming owner of the Salsa & Salsa restaurant at the mall, Eduardo possibly might be hiding a big secret that will not only affect Gru forever, but the Minions as well. Meledandri introduces us to the character: El Macho died in the most macho way possible, which was riding on the back of a shark with dynamite strapped to his chestinto the mouth of an active volcano. Gru is absolutely certain that Eduardo is this nefarious gure from the past. Fortunately for the production, Bratt was familiar with Despicable Me and has two children who were big fans of the rst lm. Meledandri reects: Benjamin is a fantastic actor and has a wonderfully expressive voice. The combination of his passion for the role and his incredible acting chops ignited our conviction that he would fully embody this character. The directors appreciated the range that Bratt offered in his dual roles as Eduardo and El Macho. Offers Renaud: Benjamin would have this big bravado, and then he would talk like this. He had this great range in his vocal abilities, and it really invigorated his entire performance. Even though Eduardo is a heavy guy, hes very light on his feet. There is a twinkle in him that emanates from Benjamins vocal performance.

Gru has a big family meeting with Margo, Edith and Agnes.

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Agnes loves that unicorn.

Coffin also commends the nuances of Bratts performance: Ultimately, when Eduardo switches around and we discover that hes this evil character, Benjamin changes his voice ever so slightly just to bring that level of menace that you didnt see coming. To hear that voice coming out of this design that we havea short guy who used to be very strong but let himself gois fun and offers a great contrast. Discussing his decision to join the series, Bratt reects: I was intrigued by the idea of playing a character that t right into Grus universe, a largerthan-life persona that was expansive in every way imaginable. And what an outrageously fantastic opportunity it was to play someone so outsized in his passions and his appetites, a spectacularly macho man who is as dangerous as he is tender. The lm is hysterically funny, and part of the humor comes from the fact that Eduardo/El Macho possesses an irresistible exuberance, a zest for life, love, and even evil, that is often comical in its zeal. For the performer, playing two roles was quite invigorating. As Eduardo, he could be charming and gregarious in his vocals. As El Macho, he became truly menacing. Bratt continues: Both the fun and the challenge in doing the voice for this character was

nding the balance between his charm and his menace. Of course, we wanted to mine the humor from the lines but also root them in a real place. I think the key was to play him as a man who truly relishes all aspects of his lifewhether its raising a son, running a restaurant or planning a takeover of the world. Joining Despicable Me 2 in supporting roles are Saturday Night Lives NASIM PEDRAD as Jillian, the nosy next-door neighbor who wont leave Gru be until he agrees to go out with Shannon (played by 30 Rocks KRISTEN SCHAAL), a bottle blonde who is as obsessed with tness as she is with plastic surgery.

You Must Wear a Scarf:


Visual Style and Character Design
Many arent aware, but the look and design of Despicable Me was inspired by the work of artists Charles Addams and Edward Gorey in a style the crew came to call suburban gothic. One of Despicable Me 2s production designers, Eric Guillon, served as art director on the last lm alongside his fellow production designer from this lm, Yarrow Cheney. For the sequel, theyve honored the work of Addams and Gorey, while allowing for a unique take that blends gothic with bright, visual designs. Once again, Paris-based animation powerhouse Illumination Mac Guff served as the company responsible for executing the creations of Despicable Me 2. The French production house embraces the countrys tradition of unique animation and carefully navigated the pipeline to develop the lm. Compliments Healy: What I see is an animation team thats benetted from French culture in a very unique way. There are amazing schools that turn out wonderful animators every year

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people who model and can make all the texturing beautiful, as well as artists who know how to light and composite, as well as do the effects so well. Coffin sums up the teams approach to this lmmaking process: Our motto, in terms of character and animation, is that in the ve rst seconds of the movie, youve got to forget that its an animated movie. You have to understand what each character is feeling. The design informs the voice; the voice informs the design. He appreciates the collaboration, noting: Its always about how can we plus the movie? How can we make it better, funnier, more emotional? In terms of returning character design, of course we know what Gru, Nefario, the girls and the Minions look like. But with the addition of Paul and Daurios latest creation, Lucy, the animators were allowed to dovetail her look into this established world, while making Lucy stand out as a heroine new to this world. Healy walks us through the teams inspiration: Eric Guillon came up with a wonderful character design that contrasted to Gru. Lucy has a lot of style; shes tall and thin with red hair. And just like Gru, she needed some neckwear. Everybody who is designed by anybody in France has to have a scarf. It makes it a little bit harder to animate, but its totally worth it. The French animators were often inspired by the visual comedy style of cinema icons Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati, as well as recent movement masters such as Rowan Atkinson and Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther lms. France native Coffin reflects on the animators inspiration: Its part of the culture. Being brought up with these movies, as well as comics and graphic novels, must have an inuence on

how this movie looks because everyone whos worked on the lm is a very creative person. Coffin discusses an example of this style, in which scenes are played out in an elongated manner: When Lucy tries to get poor, tazed Gru in the trunk of a car, we play it long. We could have cut it short: Shed put him in the trunk and be done with it. But we really pulled it and made it feel like it was painful and humiliating for Gru to get into that trunk, which is great for Grus character because hes supposed to be this superior guy, but hes not. For Renaud, the Paris-based animation house was the perfect place to meld inspirations from all over the globe. He offers: The city Gru lives in has water towers like the ones that were in Brooklyn when I lived there after college. Meanwhile, the door handles in the center of the doors are ones like those you nd in Paris. Its a great fusion of cultures that support each other and help make the design of the lm better overall. This willingness to find inspiration anywhere permeated the production. Adds Renaud: We always try to nd an answer to a design question that isnt expected or clich. The visual development team and the art team have put together something unique, and that comes from a few different sources. Yarrow Cheney, along with Eric Guillonwho has done a lot of the visual development

Gru and the Minions are on a top-secret mission.

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Lucy has perfected her own form of martial arts.

arthave been able to create a unique world. Some of the character designers that worked with us on the rst lm and then have carried over to the second lm have created looks that are still distinct. As an example, the design for El Macho began with an unlikely source of inspiration. Offers Renaud: We thought of things like El Santos, who is a famous wrestler character, and started with El Macho, sort of in his primemuscular and dressed in a mask and cape. As the story evolved, we realized what we would be better served if the guy wasnt in top shape anymore and Gru only thought he recognized him. Whether in Ramsbottoms dandy clothes or the doorknobs on the homes of Grus fellow denizens, the design of Despicable Me 2 remains quite memorable. Offers Meledandri: I never cease to be amazed at the incredible detail that our team in Paris can realize on lm, especially when it comes to fabrics and surfaces. The experience of watching a lm that is clearly not real, but one that is lled with characters who are dressed in detailed clothes that convey a sense of reality, is amazing. That combination of the animated world combined with the realism of detail is just extraordinary.

The directors acknowledge that there was a ne line between designing the world of Gru and the one in which they lived. As form follows function, Renaud laughs that he drew several aspects of the former super-villains family life from his own, especially Grus turn as Gruzinkerbell at Agnes birthday party (when the actual fairy princess was a no-show). The director laughs: We talked about how Gru could show that commitment and how far hell go to make her princess birthday a special one. Usually, frankly, its my wife that forces me to do it, but Ive been a shark, Darth Vader and a pink character for my daughter that I forget the name of. Its based on those common parental things, or maybe its just common to me. Coffin offers that the design created by their team was married to the voice work of the actors. Indeed, the design informs the voice, and the voice informs the design: Its almost like magic, because when you have, for example, Gru delivering a line, we can tweak not only the line itself, but the animationsuch as the body movement of Gru so that he means something other than what hes saying. Obviously, thats an actors dream, and all the animators are basically actors.

France to Les tats-Unis:


Illumination Entertainment at Work
As Illumination Entertainment is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and Illumination Mac Guff is housed in Paris, the production was indeed a global one. Renaud believes that being in Paris and in L.A. gave the team the best of both worlds: In France, the animation education system is second to none, and the animators,

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artists and talent who are educated here are the best. Theres also a cultural love of animation lmmaking and comics that is not so easy to nd anywhere in the world. And from the American side, were getting an experienced level of filmmaking and animated featuresparticularly in global release animated featuresthat isnt present in many other countries. Healy expounds upon the logic: One of the things that Chris Meledandri thought should be a tenet of Illumination was for artists to work where they lived. We were lucky to establish the pipeline and the company at a time when telecommunications was facile. You could use iChat and Skype for conversing across time zones. But our story artists, our visual development artists and our colorists are from all over the world; they dont have to be site specic. Thats been a wonderful part of being able to grow key talent. When we founded Illumination Mac Guff, which evolved from Mac Guff Ligne in Paris, it was this company that had been here for almost 30 years but had a strong technical foundation. She gives us a look inside the process: What we nd is that from the script page to storyboarding to cutting and then to animation, everything changes. Everyone contributes. It gets better, and it sometimes gets more elaborate as the artists touch it. So were constantly seeing how that ts into the context of the whole movie. Every 10 or 12 weeks, we step back and look at the entire movie to see it as an audience would see it. Still, we work on it in increments. From the time a scene is looking good in storyboards and has been cut to scratch voices, to the time it gets recorded and into animationand through the 14 departments of computer graphics that it needs tomany months go by. Although Despicable Me offered brilliant visuals, the lmmakers were in the unique situation of being able to up their game. Says Coffin: Despicable Me 2 is

such a step forward technically. Illumination Mac Guff revamped everything in terms of pipeline, particularly in terms of rendering, which is so intricate. Its looking so good because were now using radiosity, which is a system in which color bounces from everywhere, one used in special effects as opposed to animated features. It brought something to the level of details that we didnt have in the rst one. Healy elaborates that the fact that Illumination Mac Guff wasnt starting from scratch allowed the team to perfect the character designs. She discusses one of her favorite examples: Because we had some time between the two lms, we could change the model of Margo. Theres something I noticed that probably not a lot of people will. The new Margo is so expressive; there are scenes where I watched the animation of Margo and I love her because she has such great acting and is so relatable in this movie.

Poulet Tika Masala:


Good Minions Gone Bad
Originally imagined as yellow, pill-shaped henchmen who aided Gru as he did his dastardly deeds, Grus

The Minions rev their engine.

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Gru and Lucy attempt to go undercover.

Minions evolved over the course of Despicable Me 2 into some of the movies biggest scene stealers. As the characters progressed in storyboarding, in design and in the script, the lmmakers saw the power of their potential and wove them further into the story. Meledandri discusses their evolution: Minions are going to continue to be surprising and disarming. As wonderful as the Minions are and as beloved as they are in the rst movie, one of the qualities that denes them is the unexpected. The closest Ive ever seen to this would be the reaction between audiences and Scrat from Ice Age, he continues. Yet our experience with Scrat was that because it was a dened character with a dened goal, there wasnt the opportunity for the breath of exploration. The Minions are nonverbal characters, and their entire creation was borne out of the visual process. Theyre characters that arent dened by a script but theyre dened by the visual exploration, which enables them to communicate across every culture because they are not specic to any one culture. Coffin recalls the evolution of the Minions into the iconic characters that we know and love: Chris Renaud and I said, Well, these guys in the script were described as thugs, an army of big muscular guys. We just couldnt have Gru as an underdog being followed

by this Orc-like army, so we asked Eric to nd some simple looking characters so we could have plenty of them. He came up with the idea of pills with goggles on. In terms of graphic design, that was very appealing. When initial vocalizations for Grus henchmen werent working, Coffin stepped up to the plate and tried them out himself. He recounts: I used to do a lot of commercials and TV series and temped in my voice just for pacing reasons. I told Chris Meledandri, Let me make a test. It wont be an ofcial one; its just to show whoever is going to design the voice a way to go. So I did this voice in a couple of minutes, and when I asked Chris to listen to it, he said, Well, youre going to be the voice of the Minions. So, these words pop out, and I have them speak Indian, French, English, Spanish and Italian. I mix up all these ridiculous sounding words just because they sound good, not because they necessarily mean something. Coffins off-the-cuff vocals evidently hit the mark, because the characters took off and audiences absolutely fell in love with them. Renaud continues with his fellow directors story: Their language sounds silly, but when you believe that theyre actually communicating thats what makes it funnier. Whats great about the Minion language, while it is gibberish, it sounds real because Pierre puts in words from many languages and does the lions share of the Minion recordings. There are a lot of food references. For example, poulet tiki masala is French for the Indian chicken dish. Pierre and I cut together the scene in which one of the Minions is at the speaker box. Im the voice of the evil Minions on one side of the speaker box, and Pierre says the bizarre password. And then when the Minion goes, bla-blabla, raspberry sound, thats me.

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Healy offers that what makes the Minions so crucial is that the hundreds of characters not only provide a sense of scale to Grus world, they offer much needed humor. She sums: Theres something about their design that is just wonderful. With the simple yellow shape, the big eyes, the goggles and the little kid overalls, theyre just so expressive. Its the collaboration and the union of these directors with their voices and the funny character design that evolved in the rst movie that makes the Minions wonderful characters that are universally appealing. She acknowledges that having on-site voice talent in both lms often proved useful: Because the directors voice the Minions, and weve got them right here, its not a big deal to bring them in and say, We need new lines for the Minions. Chris and Pierre work very closely together after all these years of collaborating. When you get them in a room and they start to work off of one another with situations that the Minions could be in, the result is bigger than the sum of the parts. As El Macho needs an army of his own to make his dastardly plans come to fruition, he enlists a mad scientists help in creating the wild-haired, evilby-design, purple Minions. After all, what bad guy wouldnt want hundreds of unstoppable creatures that will serve his wildest ambitions? Says Meledandri: Once Gru has accepted this assignment from the Anti-Villain League, we begin to notice that the Minions are disappearing in interesting ways. Theyre being swept right up off of his front porch or tempted out into the street by an ice cream truck. All of these things are simply traps that have been set. Ultimately, what we discover is that the very plot that Gru is trying to crack now involves the capturing of the Minions and the transformation of them into a force for evil.

Renaud provided much of the vocals for the indestructible, purple Minions who dont know what to eat, so they eat everything. Once again, these zombielike cousins to our favorite characters were imagined by Guillon. According to Coffin: The idea was to make Minions look dumberso that came from their big underbite. They have big teeth, and theyre menacing but also funny just because theyre round and pointy and not at all regular. Renaud shares an interesting story on the inspiration for the evil Minions: There is a great classic Looney Tunes cartoon where Tweety Bird drinks a Jekyll-and-Hyde formula and becomes a big hairy monster. The idea of something cute becoming something monstrous is an appealing thought. We always laugh because the Minions, although theyre Minions that work for a bad guy, are not really evil at all. Theyre the cutest little harmless things you could ever nd. So, for the evil Minions, we changed the color of their little outts to purple. What color is more evil than that? His producer concurs on the color selection. Adds Healy: With their wild hairstyles and their big teeth, they are the antithesis of the cute yellow Minions. As you know, purple and yellow are on opposite sides of the color spectrum. While the good Minions are mostly

Gru helps Agnes with her Mothers Day pageant speech.

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No one knows how to party like the Minions.

bald, these guys are really hairy. They twitch and are actually a little bit scarybut in a fun way.

Strap on the Sharks:


Filming in 3D
Despicable Me was not only the rst lm from Illumination Entertainment, it was also the producers and directors entrance into the work of 3D. It was never the teams intention to create 3D moments just for 3Ds sake, but rather to further immerse the audience into the world of Gru, the girls and the Minions. Naturally, writers Paul and Daurio looked for opportunities as they crafted their script, but only when it made logical sense. And when you write a story that has the most macho villain of all time dropping into a volcano with a shark strapped to him, 3D immersion is a logical side effect. Meledandri believes that Despicable Me 2 lends itself quite well to the medium of 3D: Chris and Pierre love sequences that have scale. We saw it in the rst lm with everything from the attempt to steal a pyr amid to the wonderful roller coaster ride in Super Silly Fun Land to stealing the moon. As lmmakers who are students of the James Bond movies, they love

these large, exciting sequences. Once again, in the sequel, they return to that terrain with a massive sequence set in the Arctic Circle at the opening of the lm. We go underwater to nd the Anti-Villain League which has as its headquarters an incredible submarine that travels under waterto a nal sequence that takes us to a level unlike anything weve seen before. The reason that the film lends itself to 3D is not only the scope and scale of the set pieces, but because of worldwide audiences fascination with the best use of the medium. Relates Healy: One of the things that was important to Chris Meledandri when we started looking to create Despicable Me was to be able to have a global sensibility. He realized very early on that were not just making movies for the domestic marketplace, were making movies for audiences worldwide. While Gru was building rockets that ew to the moon in Despicable Me, he has some stiff competition from his partner at the AVL in this lm. Renaud walks us through a few of the Guillon-designed gadgets that Lucy has on her missions, all of which lend themselves to audience immersion. Indeed, you feel like youre on the three-dimensional trip with her. He says: What we wanted to do with Lucy as an agent of the Anti-Villain League, was push the kind of gadgets that you would see in the Bond lms, but make them even bigger than life. Shes got an amazing purse thats a real bag of tricks, with a mini amethrower and a lipstick taser. Lucys purse can actually become a hand glider. Shes got spray to identify any laserbeam alarm triggersso shes always readyand a bracelet that can shoot an epoxy that can stop an attacking chicken, should that come up. She can also shoot moose tranquilizer darts.

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As the production designers crafted audience involvement opportunities, they relied on their inner little boys to imagine the possibilities. Coffin laughs: Eric is possibly the most childish of us all. He wants those designs to become so true that he puts all of his soul into them. When the script informed us that we needed a car, then we tweaked it and asked ourselves, Wouldnt it be cool to have that small car change into an airplane or a submarine?

Still Having a Bad, Bad Day:


Music of Despicable Me 2
Grammy Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams has written and produced for blockbuster musical artists around the globe. With Despicable Me, the artist tried his hand at composing the scorealongside returning composer Heitor Pereiraas well as creating ori ginal songs and themes for a lm. Williams reects on conversations with Meledandri, Renaud and Coffin: We had extensive conversations about music and what they were feeling and what they really wanted, and it was a more soulful sound this timesomething that was right in the world of the late-60s, early-70s. The longtime fan of animation poured his creative energy into the project, and the team was thrilled with the results. Meledandri discusses the work of the two men: The music for the rst lm was distinctive and dened the character of the movie. It was borne out of collaboration between Pharrell and Heitor. It was clear that was a relationship that we wanted to continue for the second lm. That process of scoring is something that happens in a parallel to the making of

the lm, and as we created the musical landscape for the sequel, theyve done work that is outstanding. Williams wrote three new songs for Despicable Me 2, as well as reprised several of his songs from the rst lm. In addition, Pereira has created new themes for characters such as El Macho and Lucy that weave in beautifully with themes for Gru and the girls from the rst adventure. Pereira recalls: This sequel brings some very dynamic additions to Grus world and with them a lot of new emotions for him to handle. I nd that music can help us experience how deep and subtle those feelings can be. For example, Grus search for love, as it reveals itself to him through the movie, required a very careful handling of his interactions with Lucy and her melodies. And the villain, El Macho? Hes a crazy villain! Hes different and a very colorful addition to the storytelling, so I had to make sure we didnt miss the chance to capture his wide personality in the music. Of course, overall, it was important to maintain the balance of the rst movie to a degree. This is Grus story, and therefore these new themes and colors had to play a counterpoint to his experience. Renaud was adamant that they not simply redo the rst lms score. He explains: The new songs from Pharrell are full of fun, but its a tough process. We sit down with Pharrell and say, Hey, write a great song, and he does. It takes several iterations, but when we go

AVL agent Lucy sees all and hears all.

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Gru has had just about enough mischief from the Minions.

back to him and say, Could it be a little more like this? he will always say, You know what? Ill try again. He and Heitor are so dedicated to getting it right; its incredible to be able to work with them. For Despicable Me 2, Williams created the songs Happy and Just a Cloud Away to complement the reprise of one of his songs from the rst lm, Fun Fun Fun. Williams says: Im very proud of Happy. Its a song that came to me when I was thinking about Gru with his family and his elation. I just felt like it had been so long since I heard anyone being so festive and celebratory. I thought, Let me take advantage of this moment. Lets make people happy again. Williams also wrote Scream, which is performed by CeeLo Green. Audiences will nd a good deal of upbeat numbers on the soundtrack with Dont Stop the Party, performed by PitBull; Bob Marleys Jamming, performed by Ali Dee; Where Them Girls At? performed by David Guetta, featuring Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida. Finally, what self-respecting supervillain would call himself El Macho without the sound of Echa Palla (Manos Parriba), performed

by Pitbull and featuring Papayo, and Ali Dees Cielito Lindo inspiring him to woo the ladies who frequent Salsa & Salsa. Music was apparently infectious to other members on set. When the lmmakers needed Agnes to carry a tune, Elsie Fisher was always up for the challenge. When asked about her inspiration, she thinks hard: Songs just comes to my mind; you dont have to think about it for too long when youre making up a song. **** Universal Pictures Presents A Chris Meledandri Production: Steve Carell in Despicable Me 2, starring Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Steve Coogan, Ken Jeong, Moises Arias, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher. The original songs and themes are by Pharrell Williams; the score is by Heitor Pereira. Despicable Me 2s editor is Gregory Perler ACE; the production designers are Yarrow Cheney, Eric Guillon. The 3-D CGI lm is written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio. The lm is produced by Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, and it is directed by Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin. 2013 Universal Studios. [Link]

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ABOUT THE CAST


STEVE CARELL (Gru) is one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. First gaining re cognition for his contributions as a correspondent on Comedy Centrals Primetime Emmy Award-winning The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, he has successfully moved into primetime TV and above-thetitle status in the lm world with equal aplomb. Carells endeavors and successes in acting, writing and producing provided an organic segue to the creation of his own production company, Carousel Productions, with Crazy, Stupid, Love. marking the rst feature lm released under its banner. Carousel recently produced The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Carells rst lead in a feature, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow, opened at No. 1, where it remained for two straight weekends. The surprise hit of 2005 went on to gross more than $175 million worldwide and had No. 1 openings in 12 countries. The success of the lm has continued, as it has also generated more than $100 million in DVD sales in North America alone. The lm was honored with an AFI Award as one of the 10 Best Movies of the Year by the American Film Institute and took home the Best Comedy Movie honor at the 11th annual Critics Choice Awards. The lm also earned Carell and Apatow a co-nomination for Best Original Screenplay by the Writers Guild of America. As part of an ensemble, Carell starred in Little Miss Sunshine, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture in 2006, and garnered the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In 2008, Carell starred as Maxwell Smart in Get Smart, opposite

Anne Hathaway and Alan Arkin. The lm grossed more than $230 million worldwide. In 2010, Carell starred in the comedy Dinner for Schmucks with Paul Rudd. He also voiced the lead in the animated comedy Despicable Me, playing a super villain who nds his plans to steal the moon put on hold when three orphan girls adopt him as their dad. The lm saw phenomenal worldwide success, garnering more than $540 million at the box ofce. He starred with Tina Fey in the romantic comedy Date Night, which earned more than $150 million worldwide. His recent lm credits include the 2012 romantic drama Seeking a Friend for the End of the World; the comedy drama Hope Springs, alongside Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones; the upcoming comedy The Way, Way Back, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival; and, most recently, as the title character in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Carells previous lm credits include Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Bruce Almighty, Bewitched and Dan in Real Life. Carell concluded a seven-season run in the Americanized adaptation of Ricky Gervais acclaimed British TV series The Ofce, earning six Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy Series and three, as a producer, for Best Comedy Series. In 2006, Carell earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy, followed by ve more nominations for his work on the series. In 2007 and 2008, the cast shared the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Among Carells upcoming projects is the feature drama Foxcatcher, which just wrapped production. Based on the true-life story of John duPont, who killed Olympic wrestler David Schultz, the lm is directed by Bennett Miller and also stars Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. Carell will also star in the long-awaited Anchorman: The Legend Continues, which reunites him with

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writer/director Adam McKay, along with Will Ferrell and the rest of the Action 4 news team. KRISTEN WIIG (Lucy) nished her seventh and nal season as a cast mem ber on NBCs revered show Saturday Night Live in May 2012. For her work on the show, Wiig received four Primetime Emmy nominat ions for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, playing such memorable characters as the excitable Target clerk, Lawrence Welk singer Doonese, the hilarious one-upper Penelope, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Suze Orman, among others. Wiig is currently in production on 20th Century Foxs upcoming comedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, in which she stars opposite Ben Stiller. The lm, a remake of the 1947 Danny Kaye movie based on the James Thurber short story, centers on a timid magazine photo manager, played by Stiller, who daydreams of exciting adventures, only to nd himself in an adventure of his own when he goes in search of a missing negative. Wiig plays his co-worker and the woman of his fantasies. The lm will be released on December 25, 2013. Later this year, Wiig will begin production on the independent drama The Comedian, co-starring Robert DeNiro and directed by Sean Penn. Last summer, Wiig completed production in New York City on the independent lm Girl Most Likely, directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor). Wiig stars as Imogene and is also an executive producer on the lm. Girl Most Likely is the story of a moderately successful New York playwright who stages a fake suicide attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend, only to end up being forced into the custody of her gambling-addict mother.

The lm debuted as Imogene at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Wiig appeared in the 2012 Roadside Attractions film Friends With Kids, written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt. Wiig co-starred in the lm opposite Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Adam Scott, Edward Burns and Maya Rudolph. The lm, which screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, was released by Roadside Attractions on March 9, 2012. In 2011, Wiig starred in the critically acclaimed summer breakout lm Bridesmaids, which she cowrote with Annie Mumolo. Bridesmaids was released on May 13, 2011, by Universal Pictures and is currently the top R-rated female comedy of all time. Directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, Bridesmaids has become Apatows highest-grossing production. Wiig and Mumolo were nominated for an Academy Award, a Writers Guild of America Award and a BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay for their work on the lm. Wiig was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion PictureComedy or Musical. The lm has also received signicant awards recognition, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Wiig captured the audiences attention with universal high praise as Katherine Heigls passiveaggressive boss in Apatows smash-hit comedy Knocked Up. Her additional lm credits include Universals comedy Paul; All Good Things, with Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst; Universals animated feature Despicable Me, with Steve Carell and Jason Segel; Universals MacGruber; DreamWorks Animations How to Train Your Dragon, with Gerard Butler and Jay Baruchel; Mike Judges Extract, with Jason Bateman, Ben Afeck and Mila Kunis; Drew Barrymores directorial debut Whip It, which starred Ellen Page; Greg Mottolas Adventureland, with Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Stewart

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and Jesse Eisenberg; David Koepps Ghost Town, with Ricky Gervais; and Jake Kasdans Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, another Apatow-produced lm in which she starred opposite John C. Reilly. Wiig has also guest-starred on the Primetime Emmy Award-winning NBC series 30 Rock and guest-starred on the HBO series Bored to Death and Flight of the Conchords. Wiig is currently starring in Cartoon Networks reboot of The Looney Tunes Show, supplying the voice of Bugs Bunnys gal pal, Lola Bunny. A native of Rochester, New York, Wiig worked as a main company member of the Los Angeles-based improv and sketch-comedy troupe The Groundlings. As a Groundlings alumna, she is among the ranks of such SNL cast mates as Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz. Wiig currently resides in New York City. BENJAMIN BRATTs (Eduardo/El Macho)

diverse career has suc cessfully spanned film and television for more than 20 years. In 2010, Bratt won the Maverick Spirit Award at the Cinequest Film Festival for his work as producer and star of the indie hit La Mission, based in San Francisco. Written and directed by his brother Peter Bratt, the locally produced lm garnered much critical praise and went on to receive a nomination for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture at the 2011 NAACP Image Awards, a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Film Limited Release and four Imagen Foundation Award

nominations, including two wins for Best Actor Feature Film (Bratt) and Best Supporting Actor Feature Film (Jeremy Ray Valdez). Bratts distinguished film career includes the critically acclaimed lms Piero, for which he was lauded for his striking, haunting and career-dening performance as the poet/playwright/actor Miguel Piero; Steven Soderberghs Trafc, which won four Academy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture; and The Woodsman, a lm festival and critical favorite, which starred Kevin Bacon. Bratts upcoming films include Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, in which he voices the character of Manny, and The Lesser Blessed, which premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Most recently, Bratt appeared in Snitch, alongside Dwayne Johnson. Television audiences perhaps best recognize Bratt from his Primetime Emmy-nominated role as Detective Rey Curtis on NBCs long-running drama Law & Order. He also starred in and produced the A&E drama series The Cleaner. His portrayal of extreme interventionist William Banks garnered him the 2009 Alma Award for Best Actor in TelevisionDrama. Recently, Bratt starred in ABCs drama Private Practice and landed a recurring role as Glorias (Sofa Vergara) neer-do-well ex-husband Javier on ABCs smash-hit Modern Family. A veteran of more than 25 lms, Bratts work includes Curtis Hansons The River Wild, opposite Meryl Streep; Taylor Hackfords Blood In, Blood Out; Clear and Present Danger, opposite Harrison Ford; the beloved comedy Miss Congeniality, with Sandra Bullock; and the theatrical adaptation of the acclaimed novel Love in the Time of Cholera, with Javier Bardem. A San Francisco native, Bratt is a proud alumnus of American Conservatory Theaters Advanced Training Program, where he received an honorary MFA in 2008. Bratt currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and their two children.

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MIRANDA COSGROVE (Margo) is one of Hollywoods hottest young stars. She has been cast in the NBC pilot Girlfriend in a Coma, in which shell star opposite Christina Ricci. She will play Evie, whose mother, Karen (Ricci), has just woken up from a coma after 17 years. Nurse Jackies Liz Brixius wrote the script and Law & Order: Special Victims Units Dick Wolf will produce. Cosgrove was most recently seen on the Primetime Emmy-nominated Nickelodeon show iCarly. The show ranked as the No. 1 live-action series on television with kids ages 2-11 and was the networks top show among kids ages 6-11 and tweens ages 9-14 before its series nale in December 2012. The iSaved Your Life episode is Nickelodeons most-watched show ever. Cosgrove starred in the title role (Carly Shay) as a teenager who lives with her 20-something brother/ guardian and produces webcasts from a makeshift loft studio with her two best friends. iCarly was a domestic and international success, winning the Nickeodeon Kids Choice Award (KCA) for Favorite TV Show, in the U.S., Australia, Latin America and Germany. From 2009-2012, Cosgrove received KCA nominations for Favorite Television Actress and Teen Choice Award nominations for Choice TV Actress. She won the Nickelodeon U.K. Star of the Year Award in 2010. She received nominations for Favorite International TV Star for the 2008 Australian KCAs and for Favorite Female TV Star for the 2008 U.K. KCAs. iCarly was nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy Award in 2009 and 2010, a Teen Choice Award from 20092011 and a Peoples Choice Award in 2010; it also won KCAs from 2009-2012. In addition, the series garnered a Television Critics Association Award nomination for

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming and a BAFTA Childrens Award nomination. Cosgrove also guest-starred as a troubled pop star in a November 2010 episode of the Primetime Emmy-nominated CBS show The Good Wife, opposite Julianna Margulies. On the big screen, Cosgrove lent her voice to the character Margo in Universal Pictures 2010 summer blockbuster animated feature Despicable Me, with costars Steve Carell and Jason Segel. The lm has grossed more than $540 million worldwide and was nominated for a 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Film, a Peoples Choice Award for Favorite Family Movie and a 2011 BAFTA for Best Animated Film. She received rave reviews for her work in School of Rock as Summer Hathaway, the overachieving preppy manager of Jack Blacks rock band. Her other lm credits include Yours, Mine & Ours and Keeping Up With the Steins. Her theater credits include Back Again with the Orison Professional Theater Group. Cosgroves rst solo album, Sparks Fly, debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart in April 2010. The rst single, Kissin U, which she co-wrote with inuential producer Dr. Luke, is ofcially certied RIAA Gold, with more than 500,000 singles sold. Her ve-song EP High Maintenance was released in March 2011. She recorded four original songs for the rst iCarly soundtrack and also recorded original songs for the second iCarly soundtrack, which was released in 2012. Cosgrove was nominated for a 2010 Teen Choice Award for Choice Music: Breakout Female Artist. Cosgrove got her big break when she landed the highly sought-after role of Megan Parker on Nickelodeons megahit Drake & Josh. She played the deceptively sweet, mischievous little sister whose scenestealing role led to her own show, iCarly. She appeared in Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh on Nickelodeon in 2008. Her voice-over credits include Here Comes Peter Cottontail: The Movie as Munch the mouse and Whats New, Scooby-Doo? as Miranda Wright.

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In April 2011, Cosgrove was honored as the Best Role Model in a Digital Age at the Common Sense Media Awards, alongside former President Bill Clinton. She is also one of the faces of Neutrogena, following Gabrielle Union, Hayden Panettiere, Susie Castillo, Jennifer Garner, Diane Lane and Emma Roberts. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Cosgrove currently lives there and attends the University of Southern California. In 2008, RUSSELL BRAND (Dr. Nefario) shot to fame in the U.S. when he was seen as the rocker Aldous Snow in the Judd Apatow-produced comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Since then, the British star has become an international success. Brand can currently be seen in FX Networks Brand X With Russell Brand , an unscripted late-night series that he also produces under his production banner, Branded Films. The show is taped in front of a live studio audience and features Brands take on current events, pop culture and politics as well as celebrity interviews. The show entered its second season in February 2013 with an expansion to a live, full-hour format. Brand can soon be seen in Diablo Codys directorial debut, Mandate Pictures Paradise, also starring Julianne Hough and Octavia Spencer. The lm is slated for release in 2013. He is currently in development to star in and produce Warner Bros. The President Stole My Girlfriend, which his Branded Films partner, Nik Linnen, will also produce. The lm will be Branded Films rst feature lm project. Brand is also in preproduction on Paramount Pictures The Hauntrepreneur, which is being produced by Michael Bay.

Brands past lm credits include Rock of Ages, Arthur, Illumination Entertainment/Universal Pictures Hop, Get Him to the Greek, Disneys Bedtime Stories and Miramaxs The Tempest. Also an acclaimed author, Brand has written two books: My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up, which was on The New York Times best-seller list for ve weeks in a row, and its follow-up Booky Wook 2: This Time Its Personal. Brand hosted the 2012 MTV Movie Awards and hosted the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). He hosted the MTV VMAs again in 2009 and garnered the biggest VMA audience since 2004, with nearly nine million viewers. Brand began his career as a stand-up comedian and rose to fame in the U.K. in 2006 as the presenter of Big Brother spin-off Big Brothers Big Mouth. In 2006, he launched his rst nationwide tour, Shame, which was released on DVD as Russell Brand: Live. In 2007, he launched his second nationwide tour, Russell Brand: Only Joking, which was released on DVD as Russell Brand: Doing Life. In 2009, he brought his stand-up comedy tour, Russell Brand: Scandalous, to the United States. Brand currently splits his time between New York and Los Angeles. STEVE COOGAN (Silas Ramsbottom) was born and raised in Manchester, U.K., where he trained as an actor at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre. In 1992, he won the Perrier Comedy Award for his show, Steve Coogan in Character With John Thomson , at which he launched his character Paul Calf. He went on to write and perform in Paul Calfs Video Diary, for which he won a BAFTA.

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While working on radio, Coogan created his character Alan Partridge, which he transferred to TV on the shows Knowing Me, Knowing You and I Am Alan Partridge. The character won him Best Male Comedy Performer, Best TV Comedy Personality and Best TV Sitcom at the British Comedy Awards. In addition to his acting career, in 2002 Coogan set up Baby Cow Productions with Henry Normal, producing several award-winning programs, including Marion and Geoff, Human Remains, The Mighty Boosh, Gavin & Stacey, Sensitive Skin, Dr. Terribles House of Horrible and Cruise of the Gods. Coogan won his fourth BAFTA TV Award in 2011 for his comedy performance in Michael Winterbottoms The Trip. He has recently starred in Winterbottoms latest feature lm, The Look of Love, and is currently shooting as the lead in Stephen Frears Philomena alongside Judi Dench. KEN JEONG (Floyd), known for his scenestealing abilities, has established himself as the go-to character actor for todays hit comedies. In June of 2009, Jeong appeared as the Asian mobster Mr. Chow in the sleeper-hit comedy The Hangover , which starred Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galianakis. The lm was the highest-grossing R-rated comedy to date with more than $467 million worldwide, only to be trumped by The Hangover Part II, which grossed $581 million worldwide. Since his feature film debut as the doctor in Knocked Up in 2007, Jeong has gone on to portray a number of memorable roles in a series of successful comedies. Directed, written and produced by Judd Apatow, Knocked Up grossed $219 million worldwide. In 2008, Jeongs rst major role was the villain, King

Argotron, in Role Models, opposite Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. The lm went on to gross more than $90 million worldwide. In the same year, Jeong played bit parts in two other major comedies, Pineapple Express and Step Brothers. Jeongs career path started off on a different course. He earned his undergraduate degree at Duke University and went on to attain his medical degree at the University of North Carolina. Jeong completed his internal medicine residency in New Orleans all while developing his comedy. In 1995, Jeong won the Big Easy Laugh-Off. The competition, which was judged by former NBC President Brandon Tartikoff and Improv founder Budd Friedman, turned out to be his big break as Tartikoff and Friedman urged Jeong to head to Los Angeles. Once in L.A., Jeong began performing regularly at the Hollywood Improv and Laugh Factory, and was seen on a number of television shows including The Ofce, Entourage and MADtv. It wasnt until his pivotal role as Dr. Kuni in Knocked Up that Jeong solidied himself as a feature lm comedian. In 2006, Jeong and fellow comedian Mike OConnell left a mark on YouTube as Million Dollar Strong, a spoof rap duo. Since the videos posting, it has garnered more than one million views and Jeong and OConnell have been tapped by MTV Films to write and star in the lm version. Jeong is a series regular on Community, which premiered its fourth season in February. On the show, which features Joel McHale and Chevy Chase, Jeong plays the role of the angry former Spanish teacher, Ben Chang. Jeong recently teamed up again with Michael Bay for the action ick Pain & Gain, which was released on April 26, 2013. The lm also starred Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg. Jeong can also be seen in the highly anticipated Hangover Part III, released on May 24. Other credits for Jeong include Zookeeper, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Goods: Live Hard. Sell Hard. and All About Steve. He has appeared in numerous Stand Up To Cancer PSAs and hosted the 2011 Billboard Music Awards.

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Jeong currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and twin daughters. After hearing that she resembles Dakota Fanning throughout the rst ve years of her life, ELSIE FISHER (Agnes) decided she wanted to be an actress. With her parents blessing, she took the plunge and, in the very first month of her career, was cast in Despicable Me. Since doing the lm, Fisher has made appearances in several national commercials and on the television shows Medium, Mike & Molly and Raising Hope. She also lent her voice to the animated series Masha and the Bear. DANA GAIER (Edith) is a 15-year-old, 10th-grade honors student from New Jersey whose distinct voice returns this summer to the big screen as she reprises the role of Edith in Despicable Me 2. Despicable Me, which premiered in July 2010, was Gaiers feature lm debut. Gaiers voice as Edith can be heard as a part of the Despicable Me ride Minion Mayhem, which opened at Universal Orlando Resort in July 2012. She appeared on the Today show to promote the launch. The role of Edith almost didnt happen. Gaier was asked to audition for Despicable Me in November 2008, but she was unable to because she was away on her school camping trip. Upon her return, she learned from her agent that the auditions were still being held and that she should come into the ofce to record. She auditioned and, in December 2008, she ew out to L.A.

and landed the part of Edith. She has loved voicing this role and watching her character come to life. Gaier is amazed by the directors, the writers and the cast (which includes some of her favorite actors). Gaier has always loved all aspects of performing since the time she was one year old, picked up a play guitar and started singing the Backstreet Boys I Want it That Way for a room full of friends and fam ily. At age ve, Gaier was entertaining people in a restaurant and a talent manager handed her business card to Gaiers mother. At that time, Gaiers mom decided it wasnt the right time for her daughter to expand her interests beyond the local level. At age eight, Gaier was asked to open and close her schools talent show with a rendition of Aretha Franklins Respect. Gaier has great comedic timing and a terric sense of humor, and has often been compared to Punky Brewster. Gaier is no stranger to the stage. At an audition for Seussical the Musical in 2008, Gaier won the male role of JoJo over the boys. Gaier performed at the 2009 Perry Awards (New Jerseys theater equivalent to the Tonys) ceremony reprising her role as JoJo. More recent stage roles include Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, Serena in Legally Blonde: the Musical, Carmen Diaz in Fame The Musical and Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly! Gaier made national television appearances on Nickelodeons Me TV and NBCs 30 Rock. Gaier is also a guitar player and singer/songwriter. She has written and recorded several songs, including Without You and Take Control. Gaier is inspired by some of todays biggest pop stars, including Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato and P!nk, all of whom send messages of individuality and anti-bullying through their music. At the end of the day, Gaier is just your average teen. She was president at her elementary school and vice-president at her middle school. She has won awards in forensic competitions. She played eld hockey and lacrosse in high school and enjoys playing soccer, basketball and softball. In addition to her

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hobbies, Gaier volunteers in the community by playing bingo with seniors in nursing homes and participating in soup kitchens. Gaier is an anti-bullying/anti-girl drama advocate. She hosts her own website, Got Your Back (www. [Link]), that provides resources and information and encourages preteens and young adults to share their advice and experiences. More information can be found at Twitter: @DanaGaier, [Link]. In 2012, Gaier was featured in the MTV/ Firecracker Film collaborative documentary Bullied. Playing her guitar and singing her original song Take Control. Gaier believes her character Edith in Despicable Me is a strong-willed, tough girl with a big heart underneath who might serve to inuence young girls in a positive way. MOISES ARIAS (Antonio) is poised for a breakout year in 2013, with three diverse roles in highly anticipated lms. He will rst be seen in CBS Films The Kings of Summer (formerly known as Toys House), which premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The lm, which has received comparisons to the classic Stand By Me and breakout hit Superbad, opened in theaters on June 14. In November, Arias will be seen opposite Asa Buttereld and Harrison Ford in Summit Entertainments sci- adventure Enders Game based on the Orson Scott Card novel. The lm, directed by Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), follows an unusually gifted child who is sent to an advanced military school to prepare for a future alien invasion. Arias, who made his feature lm debut with a supporting role opposite Jack Black in Paramount Pictures Nacho Libre, recently lent his voice to the animated feature The Secret World of Arrietty. His

other lm credits include: Universal Studios Home Entertainments Beethovens Big Break; Lionsgates The Perfect Game; Disney Channels Dadnapped, opposite fellow Hannah Montana cast members Emily Osment and Jason Earles; Hannah Montana: The Movie; and the animated feature Astro Boy with Nicolas Cage. Initially joining Disney Channels hit series Hannah Montana in a recurring role, Arias character Rico became an instant fan favorite and he was upgraded to a series regular. His other television credits include gueststarring roles on Everybody Hates Chris, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Wizards of Waverly Place. Shortly after he was born in New York, NY, Arias and his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta, he and his younger brother, Mateo, began taking classes at a local acting school. The school brought the Arias to Los Angeles in January 2005 to compete in International Models & Talents acting and modeling competition. Shortly after they relocated to Los Angeles, Arias booked a national Burger King commercial and made his professional stage debut at the Mark Taper Forum in the world premiere of Culture Clashs critically acclaimed production Water and Power. He continues to divide his time between Atlanta and Los Angeles with his parents, Monica and Caesar, and Mateo.

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ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS


Having worked for Marvel and DC Comics from 1994 to 2000, CHRIS RENAUD (Directed by) comes from a background in comic art. From there, he moved to production design at Shadow Projects and Big Big Productions, where he over saw all aspects of the animation process, including character development, creating concept storyboards and managing teams of digital modelers and artists. He progressed to Blue Sky Studios/20th Century Fox Animation, where he worked as a story artist on a number of feature animation projects, including Robots, Ice Age: The Meltdown and Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who!. His role was to translate the screen story into the visual language of cinema, inventing and staging both dramatic and comedic action. In 2007, Renaud conceived, wrote and storyboarded the animated short No Time for Nuts, overseeing every creative aspect of production, including design, layout, lighting, rendering, music composition and sound design. No Time for Nuts was nominated for an Academy Award and went on to win the animation industrys Annie Award for Best Short. From 2008 to 2010, Renaud directed, alongside Pierre Coffin, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainments animated hit Despicable Me, the 10th highest-grossing lm in the U.S. domestic box ofce in 2010. For their work, they received an Annie Award nomination for Directing in an Animated Feature Production. He also directed Dr. SeussThe Lorax, which had the highest three-day opening for an animated lm in 2012 ($70.2 million) and also had the eighth-highest domestic opening for an animated lm of all time.

Renaud is currently executive producing Minions, an original animated lm starring Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm, which will be released on December 19, 2014. PIERRE COFFIN (Directed by) studied cinema at the Paris-Sorbonne University between 1985 and 1988. While engaged in his military service, he withdrew in order to sit for the Gobelins entrance exam. He succeeded and followed the 2D course from 1990 to 1993. Cofn then moved to England and worked for one year as a junior animator at Amblimation, Steven Spielbergs animation studio. Back in France, he worked as a freelance CG artist for the National Center of Pedagogical Documentation, helping to create various educational programs for French television. In 1996, Coffin began working at Ex Machina, the leading animation company at the time. He became lead animator, then head of animation, and worked on short lms including Flying Fish Tobby Who Aimed for the Stars. But it was with his short lm Pings (1997) that his style was recognized. Shortly thereafter, he co-directed, with Soandsau, a commercial for Pastille Vichy. He joined Wanda Productions as an animation director and then Passion Pictures, which works hand in hand with Mac Guff Ligne on all its CG commercials. While there, he worked on several commercials, as well as a miniseries for BBC 1 (part of The Lenny Henry Show) called Polar Bears. Recognized as the animal-commercial director, Coffin is famous for commercials including Dd (for the Franaise des Jeux, the largest French lottery), Caisse dEpargne (a leading French bank) and, recently, Oasis.

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In 2007, Coffin directed a seven-minute teaser for his feature lm Bones Story (Les Films dAntoine/Mac Guff Ligne). He also directed Pat et Stanley, which was awarded the Special Prize for a TV Series at Frances 2009 Annecy International Animation Festival. From 2008 to 2010, Coffin directed, with Chris Renaud, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainments animated hit Despicable Me, the 10th highest-grossing lm in the U.S. domestic box ofce in 2010. For their work, they received an Annie Award nomination for Directing in an Animated Feature Production. Coffin also directed the Annie Award-winning 3D ride Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, which opened at Universal Orlando Resort in July 2012. He is currently in production directing Minions, an original animated lm starring Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm, which will be released on December 19, 2014. CHRIS MELEDANDRI (Produced by) is the founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures. In July 2010, Illumination released its rst lm under this agreement, Despicable Me, which starred Steve Carell and earned more than $540 million worldwide. In April 2011, Illumination released Hop, which starred Russell Brand and James Marsden and became the No. 1 lm in North America for two consecutive weeks. Illumination followed this up in March 2012, when it released its next fully animated feature lm, Dr. Seuss The Lorax, which had the highest three-day opening for an animated lm that year ($70.2 million) and also had the eighth-highest domestic opening for

an animated lm of all time. The Lorax continued the successful collaboration between Meledandri and Theodor Dr. Seuss Geisels widow, Audrey Geisel. The Lorax had the highest three-day opening for an animated lm in 2012 ($70.2 million) and also had the eighth-highest domestic opening for an animated lm of all time. Meledandri is currently in production on Minions, an original animated film starring Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm, which will be released on December 19, 2014, as well as an untitled project that will be released on July 3, 2015. Meledandri was previously an executive at 20th Century Fox for 13 years. While there, he became founding president of 20th Century Fox Animation, which he headed for eight years, amassing more than $2 billion in global box-ofce revenue. During his tenure, he helped 20th Century Fox become a major player in the world of animated feature lms and in 1998, he led 20th Century Foxs acquisition of edgling visual effects/commercial house Blue Sky Studios, which he built into a successful producer of animated features. He oversaw the creative and business operations of Blue Sky Studios, now 20th Century Foxs wholly owned CGI studio. While at the studio, Meledandri supervised and/or executive produced movies including Ice Age, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Robots, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Simpsons Movie and Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who!. Before joining 20th Century Fox, Meledandri was president of Dawn Steel Pictures at Walt Disney Pictures, where he served as an executive producer of Cool Runnings.

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JANET HEALY (Produced by) started her career in live-action lms with such great directors as Stanley Kramer, Hal Ashby and Sam Peckinpah. She worked with Steven Spielberg on Close Encounters of the Third Kind and 1941, serving as associate producer on the latter. She then joined George Lucas premier visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), as a cohead of production. At ILM, Healy produced some of the eras most groundbreaking visual effects work, including the Academy Award-winning visual effects for Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Jurassic Park. While producing the digital character work for Casper, Healy fell in love with character animation. She joined Walt Disney Feature Animation as the head of digital production and oversaw work on the lms Tarzan, Dinosaur and Mulan. She moved to DreamWorks Animation to serve as head of production for several years and, while there, produced Shark Tale. In 2008, Healy joined Chris Meledandri as he was beginning his new venture, Illumination Entertainment, for Universal Pictures. Along with Meledandri and John Cohen, Healy produced Despicable Me, for which they received a Producers Guild of America Award nomination for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures. She also produced Dr. Seuss The Lorax with Meledandri and has begun production on two more lms for Illumination: Minions, which will be released on December 19, 2014, as well as an untitled project that will be released on July 3, 2015. From original and triumphant 3D animation movies to adventurous live-action movies, Hollywood screenwriter CINCO PAUL (Written by) is used to seeing his work come to life with one smash hit after

another. For Despicable Me 2, Paul reteamed with his writing partner, Ken Daurio, to bring audiences their unique vision of the lms characters. Along with Daurio, he wrote the surprise blockbuster Despicable Me, which has made more than $540 million worldwide. Paul and his writing partner, Ken Daurio, are the hot Hollywood screenwriting team who also penned the highly successful screenplays based on the beloved Dr. Seuss childrens books The Lorax and Horton Hears a Who!, in collaboration with Chris Meledandri, the founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment. Paul and Daurio had the distinct honor of being handpicked by Audrey Geisel (the widow of Theodor Seuss Geisel) to write the Horton Hears a Who! and Dr. Seuss The Lorax lm projects on behalf of the estate of Dr. Seuss. Paul also wrote the lyrics for Dr. Seuss The Lorax, for which he, along with John Powell, received an Annie Award nomination in 2013. Paul and Daurio are known throughout the entertainment industry for their unique pitching style, often singing their pitches to high-level studio executives. For the Disney lm College Road Trip, they belted out the 80s tune Double Dutch Bus, complete with harmony and melody. An estimated 90 percent of their pitches in the last nine years have involved musical performances. Paul met Daurio while working on a church musical, and they bonded immediately. In 1999, they sold their rst screenplay, Special; later, they turned it into a short lm that went on to play the festival circuit due to its dark comedic story line. Next came the 2001 cult classic Bubble Boy, which starred Jake Gyllenhaal as Jimmy Livingston (a boy without an immune system), a twisted take on the John Travolta television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. Paul also recently turned Bubble Boy into a full-length musical, for which he wrote the music and lyrics. His other lm credits include Disneys megahit The Santa Clause 2. Paul studied at Yale University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English. Upon

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moving to Los Angeles, he received his MFA in screenwriting from the University of Southern California, winning a fellowship grant to pay for his second year. From original and triumphant 3D animation movies to adventurous live-action movies, Hollywood screenwriter KEN DAURIO (Written by) is used to seeing his work come to life with one smash hit after another. For Despicable Me 2, Daurio reteamed with his writing partner, Cinco Paul, to bring audiences their unique vision of the lms characters. Daurio and Paul wrote the box-ofce smash Despicable Me, which grossed more than $540 million worldwide. Daurio and Paul are the hot Hollywood screenwriting team who also penned the highly successful screenplays based on the beloved Dr. Seuss childrens books The Lorax and Horton Hears a Who!, in collaboration with Chris Meledandri, the founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment. Daurio and Paul had the distinct honor of being handpicked by Audrey Geisel (the widow of Theodor Seuss Geisel) to write the Horton Hears a Who! and Dr. Seuss The Lorax lm projects on behalf of the estate of Dr. Seuss. Daurio and Paul are known throughout the entertainment industry for their unique pitching style, often singing their pitches to high-level studio executives. For the Disney lm College Road Trip, they belted out the 80s tune Double Dutch Bus, complete with harmony and melody. An estimated 90 percent of their pitches in the last nine years have involved musical performances. Daurio met Paul while working on a church musical and they bonded immediately. In 1999, they sold their rst screenplay, Special, which they later turned into a short lm that played the festival circuit due to its dark comedic story line. Next came the 2001 cult classic Bubble Boy, which starred Jake Gyllenhaal as Jimmy Livingston (a boy without an immune system), a twisted take on the John Travolta television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.

Upon graduating from high school, Daurio began directing music videos for up-and-coming bands like Blink-182, AFI and Jimmy Eat World. More than 100 music videos later, he teamed up with Paul to write his rst feature script. Daurio and Paul are now one of Hollywoods most sought-after screenwriting teams. YARROW CHENEY (Production Designer) attended the California Institute of the Arts from 1992 to 1995, before beginning his career as a character animator at Turner Feature Animation/Warner Bros. Feature Animation on Cats Dont Dance, Quest for Camelot and The Iron Giant. In 1999, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design for his opening title sequence to Sonys Dilbert series. Cheney went on to production design Sony Pictures Imageworks Academy Award-winning theatrical short The ChubbChubbs! and Universal Pictures Curious George. In 2006, he directed, produced, edited and production designed The Very First Noel holiday special. In 2008, Cheney joined Illumination Entertainment and has served as production designer on Despicable Me and Dr. Seuss The Lorax. He is currently directing a Minion short titled Puppy. ERIC GUILLON (Production Designer) previously art directed Illumination Entertainments boxofce hits Despicable Me and Dr. Seuss The Lorax. For his work on Despicable Me, Guillon received an Annie Award nomination for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production. For his work on Dr. Seuss The Lorax, he, Colin Stimpson and Yarrow Cheney received an Annie Award nomination for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production. GREGORY PERLER, ACE (Editor) is a lm editor who has lived and worked in Los Angeles for more than 20 years. A New York University lm school graduate, he moved to Los Angeles in 1990

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when he was hired as an assistant editor on Disneys Beauty and the Beast (the rst of only three animated lms to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture). He was promoted to associate editor during this production. Perlers previous feature-animation credits include Despicable Me, A Goofy Movie, Tarzan, the Oscarnominated Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and the Oscarwinning Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the WereRabbit. His live-action credits include 102 Dalmatians, Enchanted, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert and two telelms based on the classic Eloise childrens books. In 2011, Perler shared an American Cinema Editors Eddie Award nomination for Despicable Me with Pam Ziegenhagen. Perler was an editor on the rst season of the highly rated USA Network series Royal Pains and Illumination Entertainments hit live-action hybrid lm Hop. HEITOR PEREIRA (Score by) discovered composing lm music in a unique way. He had been brought in as a songwriter for the lm As Good As It Gets, but soon found that his melodies and arrangements were a perfect t to lm scores. He made such an impression on producer James L. Brooks that in Brooks next lm, 2001s Riding in Cars With Boys, Pereira was co-composer. Since then, he has collaborated on a number of projects and has composed music, written songs or played various instruments on the scores of I Am Sam, Madagascar, The Pledge, Shrek 2, Mission: Impossible II, The Rundown, Black Hawk Down, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, August Rush, Spanglish, Somethings Gotta Give, Man on Fire, Domino, Unstoppable, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 and The Dark Knight. Pereiras original lm scores include The Smurfs, Despicable Me, Nancy Meyers Its Complicated, A Little Bit of Heaven, From Prada to Nada, The Canyon, Curious George, Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!, Disneys hit Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Beverly

Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta!, the documentary Running the Sahara, the John Singleton-produced Illegal Tender, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and Robert Townes Ask the Dust. He has been the recipient of four ASCAP awards for Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Its Complicated, Despicable Me and The Smurfs. Pereiras reputation for being able to bring his unique sensibility to lm scores comes from his solid foundation of craftsmanship. Soon after completing his conservatory studies, he began playing guitar with some of Brazils leading artists and went on to entertain millions as the guitarist for Simply Red. He has released three solo albums of his own music, and has either arranged music for, or played with, such artists as Sergio Mendes, Alejandro Sanz, Caetano Veloso, Ivan Lins, Jack Johnson, The Chieftains, Bryan Adams, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Seal, Nelly Furtado and many others. It came as no surprise that in 2005, Pereira won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist for his collaboration with Sting and Chris Botti. Most recently, Pereira produced, co-wrote and performed on Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Melody Gardots latest and critically acclaimed album The Absence. Pereira lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. I dont have a signature sound, PHARRELL WILLIAMS (Original Songs and Themes by) says. I would call it a signature execution. While certainly popular, with more than 100 million copies of his productions sold, Williams isnt a pop star. Hes a modern artist. No matter what hes working on, whether its a beat for one of the signees to his new label, i am OTHER, or a design for his apparel lines Billionaire Boys Club and ICECREAM, it feels like an invention and looks like the future. Williams has designed limitededition jewelry and accessories for luxury goods brand Louis Vuitton, collaborated with French designers

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Domeau & Prs on chair designs that were featured in the Paris gallery Galerie Perrotin, and partnered with Tokyo-born artist Takashi Murakami and jewelry house Jacob & Co. to create a sculpture that was shown at Art Basel in Switzerland. Each effort boasts an unmistakable and instantly recognizable style. Fellow innovators recognize this trait, and its why they seek him out. Williams has made music with Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk and The Hives, and re-inspired established vets like Madonna, Snoop Dogg and the Rolling Stones. Over the years, he and his produc tion partner, Chad Hugo, have been credited with a certain sound that marked a great leap forward for pop music at the end of the millennium. What Williams actually does is more of a constant. I think thats my gift, he says. The ability to say, You know what? This would sound better behind purple. That would sound great in polka dots. You would sound great over something spicy. For Williams, each endeavor is another platform for his unique creative expression, something he has been obsessed with ever since getting his start in music as a seventh grader at Old Donation Center, a school for young overachievers located in Williams hometown of Virginia Beach, followed by playing in the school band at Princess Anne High School. A drummer and keyboardist, Williams was discovered performing with Hugo at a high school talent show by new jack swing architect Teddy Riley, who signed the pair as The Neptunes shortly after they graduated. Williams musical style emerged publicly on a single verse on the classic Wreckx-N-Effect single, Rump Shaker, and since then there have been a dozen tracks that are also considered undeniable classics: Nellys Hot in Herre, Jay-Zs I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me), Britney Spears Im A Slave 4 U, Kelis Milkshake, Ol Dirty Bastards Got Your Money, and Snoop Doggs Drop It Like Its Hot. If these songs were baseball players, theyd all have retired numbers. In 2010, Billboard selected The Neptunes as its

Producer of the Decade, and the industry has honored Williams with four Grammy Awards (including 2004s Producer of the YearNon-Classical) and ASCAPs prestigious Golden Note Award in 2012. But a futurist isnt allowed to look back for too long, no matter how established hes become. Early in Williams career, Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine told Entertainment Weekly: Pharrell has such a vision for every aspect of culture. Hes the modern kid: he lives rock, hip-hop, R&B, he can do it all. In many ways, Williams is still that modern kid, whether hes on the cutting edge (like with the four albums hes released with the alternative rock/hip-hop band N*E*R*D*) or at the height of the mainstream (he was a music supervisor for the 2012 Academy Awards). He is constantly gazing ahead and supporting newcomers with similar vision and drive. Williams latest undertaking is i am OTHER, a multimedia creative collective that serves as an umbrella for all of his endeavors, including a record label and a dedicated YouTube channel featuring original programming such as the shows The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, Nardwuar the Human Serviette and StereoTypes. The sites manifestoas Williams explains on his website [Link] the people who push society forward. The thinkers. The innovators. The outcasts because history has proven that its the rule breakers who have the power to change the world. In addition to his music and digital interests, the environmentally minded Williams is a partner in the NYC-based textile rm Bionic Yarn, which creates sustainable fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles for such brands as Gap, Timberland, Cole Haan and Nike. He is also the founder of the nonprot From One Hand To Another (FOHTA)a resource center in Virginia Beach that provides kids in the community with alternative educational tools than those found in the school system. Imagine how many kids would be able to do what Ive done, even supersede what Ive done if we line the stars up for them, he says.

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As he enters his third decade as one of our truly great contemporary artists, Williams isnt slowing down. One of the joys of working in the business that I do is I get to explore textures all the time, he says. Its almost like being in the fashion industry. We work with so many different materials, and I do the same when it comes to music. Im constantly on the hunt for a new instrument or a new soundnot sound as in body of work, but literally, new instrumentation sounds. That is my business. Williams touch, which relies on instinct and vision rather than any formal training or cynical formula, has changed the texture and color of popular culture. despicable me 2

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Common questions

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The subplot of Margo's interest in boys plays a significant role in emphasizing Gru's journey as a protective father. It introduces a realistic challenge many parents face, allowing the film to delve into familial themes and Gru's evolving social and emotional understanding. The subplot contributes to Gru's character development as it forces him to confront his own anxieties about losing his daughters' attention, paralleling his struggles with establishing new adult relationships. Margo's situation prompts Gru to reassess his priorities and evolve in his role as a parent, integrating an additional layer of personal growth into the main narrative of balancing hero duties with family life .

Kristen Wiig's role as Lucy Wilde is both a complement and a contrast to her role as Miss Hattie. While Miss Hattie represented an antagonist figure, embodying the institutional challenges the children faced in the first film, Lucy Wilde is positioned as a protagonist who brings enthusiasm and support to Gru's life and mission. This shift from antagonist to ally enriches the storyline by introducing complex character dynamics whereby Lucy influences Gru's evolution and softens his defenses against forming emotional connections. Her character's vivacity and outsize personality clash with and yet eventually mirror Gru's hidden exuberance, creating tension and chemistry that drive the partnership subplot. Thus, Wiig's contrasting roles enhance narrative depth by showcasing diverse dimensions of engagement with Gru and the overarching themes of transformation and growth .

Gru faces significant challenges balancing his responsibilities as a suburban family man and an agent for the Anti-Villain League (AVL). As a former villain, he's adjusting to a new life where he must care for his three daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, along with the Minions, all while working with the AVL to fight global crime. These dual roles put a strain on him, as he's pulled between his duties as a father and his secret missions as an agent. This juxtaposition affects his character development by pushing him to evolve from a self-centered villain to a caring father figure and a reluctant hero. His interactions with Lucy Wilde, his partner in AVL, challenge his social and emotional capacity for growth, as he confronts the possibility of adult relationships and love .

Humor plays a pivotal role in enhancing the film's exploration of deeper themes such as redemption and love. Through comedic situations and character interactions, the film lightens the weight of its themes, making them more accessible to audiences of all ages. For example, Gru's awkwardness in romantic situations with Lucy is comically explored yet underscores his struggle with vulnerability and affection. The Minions provide comedic relief amidst intense scenarios, which softens the depiction of Gru's redemption journey and recasts potentially intense moments into humorous ones. The balance between humor and deeper narrative themes allows the film to maintain a light-hearted tone while still addressing complex emotional growth and transformation .

The themes of individual growth and family integration are integral in shaping the character arcs throughout the film. Gru's arc from a solitary villain to an engaged father who works with the AVL is a direct result of these themes. The film portrays Gru's evolution through his interactions with his daughters and Lucy Wilde, highlighting how his relationships foster personal development and acceptance within his unique family. Similarly, Lucy's character develops as she witnesses Gru's nuanced role as a father and hero, spurred in part by her admiration for his past deeds. The intermingling of personal and familial aspirations underscores the film's message that growth often arises from challenging personal barriers within the context of meaningful relationships .

Gru's transition from villain to hero is an effective narrative device for exploring personal transformation themes. This evolution is portrayed through his engagement with familial responsibilities and his cooperation with the AVL. His past as a villain provides a rich backdrop for illustrating profound change as he adopts characteristics beneficial to heroism. The narrative device underscores that transformation is both a personal journey and a result of external influences, particularly through his relationships with Lucy and his daughters. By aligning Gru's transformation with broader plots of espionage and crime fighting, the film effectively ties individual development to collective goals, enhancing the thematic resonance of redemption and change .

The relationship between Gru and Lucy Wilde begins with friction; Gru initially dislikes Lucy's enthusiastic and extroverted nature, which clashes with his reserved persona. Throughout their mission to capture the super-villain identified as El Macho, they are forced to work closely, developing mutual respect and admiration for each other's abilities and personality. This evolving dynamic serves as a subplot that complements the primary narrative of catching the villain. Gru's increasing comfort and regard for Lucy not only softens his outlook on personal relationships but also enriches the film's theme of unexpected love and collaboration .

Gru's reluctance to form personal relationships is deeply rooted in his childhood experiences, specifically the rejection he faced on a schoolyard which led to massive humiliation and made him wary of future vulnerability. This past rejection significantly contributes to his antisocial demeanor and stumbling blocks in accepting love or companionship. The narrative explores this through Gru's discomfort at the prospect of dating, a situation complicated by his daughters' encouragement for him to pursue a relationship, particularly with Lucy Wilde. This internal struggle is a critical element that propels Gru's character development throughout the film, highlighting the importance of addressing and overcoming past fears to enable personal growth .

The AVL's decision to enlist Gru's expertise in capturing villains acts as a significant commentary on themes of redemption and transformation. Gru, once a notorious villain himself, becomes an asset to the AVL precisely because of his intimate understanding of villainous mindsets. This narrative decision underscores the potential for individuals to change and redeem themselves, illustrating that characteristics associated with nefarious activities can be redirected towards positive ends. Gru's transition from villain to hero is not only a personal redemption arc but also a broader thematic exploration of how one's skills and traits can contribute to societal good if given the opportunity and right circumstances .

The family relationships, particularly between Gru and his daughters, are central to conveying the film's core message of love, acceptance, and finding one's place in the world. Gru's role as a father requires him to balance nurturing responsibilities with his professional activities, portraying the universal struggle of maintaining work-family balance. The daughters' varying responses to Gru's role - Agnes' longing for a mother, Edith's admiration for his past villainous lifestyle, and Margo's budding interest in boys - highlight different aspects of family dynamics. These relationships interconnect with the main plot by influencing Gru's decisions and actions as he grapples with personal growth and responsibility, making them pivotal to his evolution from a self-centered villain to a caring family man .

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