‘Despicable Me 4’ Kicks Off Universal’s 2024 CinemaCon With Gru’s Honey Badger Heist

CinemaCon attendees got an extended clip from Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 at Universal’s 2024 presentation.

In it, Gru (Steve Carell) teams with the villainess Poppy (Joey King) to steal a honey badger from a castle/private school. Two Minions and Gru’s baby son Junior are in tow . Calamity ensures as the honey badger awakes, creates havoc with Gru getting hit in the butt with a tranquilizer shot.

Illumination Boss Chris Meledandri introduced the clip, thanking exhibitors for the sleeper success of his animation studio’s Migration ($293M).

“In case of any doubt, our commitment to produce original animation film remains steadfast,” said Meledandri.

This latest Despicable Me installment in the multi-billion dollar grossing franchise hits domestic theaters on July 5. Following the 2022 summer blockbuster of Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, which earned almost $1B worldwide, the animated franchise now begins a new chapter as Gru (Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls — Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)— welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.

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

The film features new characters voiced by Joey King (Bullet Train), Stephen Colbert (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live).

Pierre Coffin returns as the iconic voice of the Minions and Steve Coogan returns as Silas Ramsbottom.

Despicable Me 4 is directed by a co-creator of the Minions, Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets), and is produced by Meledandri and by Brett Hoffman.

The film is co-directed by Patrick Delage (animation director Sing 2 and The Secret Life of Pets 2), and the screenplay is by the creator of White LotusMike White, and the veteran writer of every Despicable Me film, Ken Daurio.