The former supervillain Felonious Gru (portrayed by Steve Carell) is a family-oriented individual who is faced with the challenges of raising a lively infant boy, which presents some difficulties in their relationship. These issues are explored in the forthcoming sequel, Despicable Me 4. Regrettably, the animated film has not received favorable reception among critics, as indicated by its average Rotten Tomatoes score of 63%. Nonetheless, the character of Gru is once again brought to life by the talented portrayal of Carell.
This marks the inaugural cinematic escapade of adult Gru after Despicable Me 3 in 2017. Two years ago, Carell lent his voice to young Gru in Minions: The Rise of Gru. However, the bald antagonist's reappearance on the silver screen has garnered a diverse range of evaluations, thereby culminating in a Tomatometer rating of only 63% based on 24 reviews as of the current moment.
Steve Carell playfully alludes to the potential of an extended universe, surpassing the scope witnessed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which could involve the beloved characters Gru and the Minions. However, securing ample funding becomes pivotal in order for fans to relish further adventures with the former supervillain and his playful yellow associates. Encouragingly, the current projections for Gru and his enterprise show great promise. According to Deadline, the latest reports indicate that Despicable Me 4 is expected to amass domestic revenue exceeding $100 million during the extended five-day Fourth of July weekend.
According to Boxoffice Pro, initial projections indicated that Despicable Me 4 was expected to generate between $60 million and $80 million. However, if the film manages to surpass the $100 million mark, it would secure the second-largest opening of the 2024 summer movie season. Additionally, Inside Out 2, another animated film, began its theatrical release with an impressive opening weekend, accumulating a total of $154.2 million.
The other films in the Despicable Me film series, including the Minions installments, were met with unfavorable reviews from critics. However, the franchise has enjoyed tremendous success at the box office. Additionally, none of the films focused on the character Gru, which targeted adult audiences, namely Despicable Me ($56.4 million), Despicable Me 2 ($83.5 million), and Despicable Me 3 ($72.4 million), managed to exceed the $100 million milestone in their respective opening weekends.
The Minions' films deserve high praise, as the franchise has witnessed tremendous financial success, with its biggest opening-weekend gross of $115.7 million from Minions (2015). Additionally, Minions: The Rise of Gru achieved an impressive milestone by surpassing the coveted $100 million mark during its theatrical debut, collecting $107 million. Therefore, it can be inferred from experiences that fans will not lend much heed to critics.