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‘I Hope Not': Despicable Me Director Chris Renaud Shares His Thoughts On Making Possible Live Action
Director Chris Renaud, who helmed the original instalment alongside Pierre Coffin in 2010, opened up about his “personal” thoughts on a live-action remake of the Minions film.
Director Chris Renaud believes the essence of the Despicable Me franchise lies in its animated form. The franchise veteran, who helmed the original installment alongside Pierre Coffin in 2010, opened up about his “personal” thoughts on a live-action remake of the Minions film.
"God, I hope not. That's my answer," the 57-year-old filmmaker said when asked about a possible live-action feature of the fictional yellow creatures originated by Illumination Animation and Universal Pictures, per an interview with Film Hounds magazine.
The far-fetched idea of the live-action Minions did not sit well with Renaud as he pointed out that he hasn’t been “privy” to conversations around the live-action future of the franchise, if there’s been any, and is certainly “not very appealing” to him.
He insinuated that the animated world of the Minions presents far greater potential than what could be done in a real-life scenario.
“But for me, what defines the world is that it is animated, and it allows us to get away with what we get away with,” Renaud, who also directed Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, noted. With this, he referenced scenes– where a minion is locked in a vending machine, or Gru emerging alive from an explosion after he attacks Vector– that only seem to work as cartoon ideas.
Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter echoed Renaud’s stance on a live-action remake and hesitantly said the idea itself bothered him in a June interview with Time Magazine. He referenced the 2007 animated film, Ratatouille while explaining how animated ideas do not work in real. Moreover, the idea of remakes does not appeal to him as Docter is mostly fond of making original and unique features.
Chris Renaud's wide-spanning work in the animation industry ranges from filmmaking and designing to working as a storyboard artist and a voice actor. He teamed up with French animator Pierre Coffin, 57, to build the billion-dollar blockbuster Despicable Me franchise. The latter also serves as the primary voice for the Minions besides his directing duties.
The duo also directed Despicable Me 2 in 2013 before Renaud returned to direct the fourth installment in 2024. He served as the producer for the spinoffs, 2015’s Minions and 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Now, plans for a third sequel for the Minions spinoff are reportedly brewing. In July, Illumination and Universal Pictures announced that Minions 3 is eyeing a scheduled release date of June 30, 2027, and will be helmed by Pierre Coffin. He will be directing from a script by Brian Lynch, whose previous works include The Secret Life of Pets and the 2015 Minions spinoff.
The latest installment, Despicable Me 4, hit theatres on July 5, 2024, and has crossed the billion-dollar mark (USD 5 billion) in global ticket sales, per The Hollywood Reporter. This feat has etched the franchise in the history of animation films.
The Despicable Me franchise primarily follows the journey of the supervillain-turned-loving parent, Felonius Gru, brilliantly voiced by Steve Carell, as he leads an army of minions while parenting his three adopted daughters– Margo, Edith, and Agnes. The film features an ensemble cast of Will Ferrell, Miranda Cosgrove, and Kristen Wiig.
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