Despicable Me 2

“A Gru-some Transformation” Featurette

If you have seen the first Despicable Me, then you know that Gru essentially (for a lack of a better term) grew up in that movie. Gru went from being a notorious villain to a father of three adorable daughters: Margot, Edith, and Agnes. His arc in Despicable Me was one that both the audience and Gru himself never saw coming. However, his transformation did not end there.

Rather, it continues on into the sequel, Despicable Me 2, where Gru learns more about himself and what it really means to be ‘good.’ If you’re curious to learn just how much Gru has changed throughout the Despicable Me franchise, be sure to check out “A Gru-some Transformation” under the “Extras” section of our behind-the-scenes content.

Despicable Me 2 - Steve CarellIn this Despicable Me 2 featurette, you’ll see how Gru has come to terms with his new life after leaving villainy behind. Substituting in for all his evil endeavors are the many responsibilities that come with fatherhood.

Obviously, many people cannot say that they have successfully shrunken the Moon or have stolen the Statue of Liberty (the small one from Las Vegas.) However, many of us can see ourselves in the situations that Gru now finds himself in.

Steve Carell (the voice of Gru) even says, “The fact that he would do anything for his kids is exactly how I feel. I think that’s how most parents feel.” Whether it be putting on a fairy dress for Agnes’ birthday or (irrationally) freezing someone who broke Margot’s heart, Gru is always looking out for his girls.

Despicable Me 2 - Pierre Coffin Gru truly is a changed man, but his changes don’t just stop at being a parent. As you’ll come to know in this Despicable Me 2 exclusive, the cast and crew thought it was very important for Gru to find his partner in crime (not in an evil way, though.) Director Pierre Coffin says that “we made the choice fairly rapidly for him to find a loved one in terms of soulmate.” This ‘soulmate’ that Coffin describes comes in the form of Lucy Wilde – an agent of the Anti-Villain League.

The creative minds behind the movie wanted to extend the family that formed in Despicable Me. That is why Gru can be seen going out on blind dates and having Margot, Edith, and Agnes setting up dating profiles for him. However, it was Lucy who eventually stole his heart and became his better half in the end.

It is a well-known fact that opposites attract. As you’ll discover in this Despicable Me 2 extra, Lucy was designed to be a complete contrast to Gru in many ways. Just by watching her in the movie, you can tell that she is a much livelier and more innocent person than Gru, who always seems to be grumpy and frustrated. Even their appearances were made to be quite different from one another.

Janet Healy (producer of Despicable Me 2) said that “Eric Guillon, who was one of the production designers on the movie, came up with a character design that really contrasted to Gru.” From their looks and attitude, Gru and Lucy are on completely different sides of the spectrum. Gru is usually negative whereas Lucy is a lot more positive. However, when something is negative and another is positive, those two often attract each other. 

As you can probably tell, the first Despicable Me movie was all about the idea of ‘family.’ Despicable Me 2, therefore, was made to expand upon that theme and show how that ‘family’ can become whole. It started off with Gru, then came Margot, Edith, and Agnes. Now, at the end of it all, there is Lucy.

And, how can we forget about the Minions!

You can watch even more despicable behind-the-scenes featurettes when you buy Despicable Me 2 on 4k Ultra HD, DVD, Digital, or Blu-rayTM*. 

 *Bonus features are only available at select digital retailers. Check the retailer for details.

 

Like this article? Read more about the making of Despicable Me 2 here: