Despicable Me 2

Despicable Me 2 is a 2013 American animated comedy film directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, and written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. The sequel to Despicable Me (2010), it was produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. It stars the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, and Ken Jeong. The film follows Gru as he is recruited by secret agent Lucy Wilde, who is investigating a theft of the mutagen PX-41, stolen from the Arctic Circle. During their investigations, they extract El Macho, a supervillain with the goal of achieving world domination after faking his death. Despicable Me 2 debuted in Australia on June 5, 2013, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 3, by Universal Pictures. It received generally positive reviews from critics and earned $971 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2013 and the most profitable film in the 101-year history of Universal Pictures. It was nominated for two awards at the 86th Academy Awards, (making this the first and only Illumination film to do so) and received numerous other accolades. It is the second entry in the Despicable Me franchise, which comprises Minions (2015), Despicable Me 3 (2017), Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), and Despicable Me 4 (2024). Plot A mysterious aircraft steals a highly potent mutagen known as PX-41 from a secret laboratory in the Arctic Circle. Silas Ramsbottom, director of the Anti-Villain League (AVL), sends agent Lucy Wilde to recruit former supervillain Gru. Gru is forcibly brought to the AVL headquarters and asked by Ramsbottom to help them track down the culprit and recover the mutagen. However, Gru refuses, claiming that he is now a legitimate father and owner of a jelly-producing business. Later, Dr. Nefario, Gru's friend and assistant, quits to accept a more villainous job offer; this causes a reluctant Gru to decide to work with the AVL after all. He and Lucy are stationed at the Paradise Shopping Mall, with a cupcake store as their front.