Despicable Me 3 Movie: Behind the Scenes with Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, and Pharrell

Are you excited about Despicable Me 3?

This new threequel hits theaters June 30th, and will not disappoint moviegoers!

Family is everything…  I am the youngest of six siblings and we are all different. We argue, we disagree, but we love each other. In this new film, there is a long lost relative joining Gru’s fam bam.  He’s rich, funny, and loving. He’s nothing like his villain brother, but he fits in and he is the missing piece to their family puzzle.

Thank you Universal Pictures for opportunity to interview the Despicable Me 3 cast. All opinions are my own. 

This new movie is full of surprises and Minion shenanigans!

About the Movie

Illumination, who brought moviegoers Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the story of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters Margo, Edith and Agnes -and the Minions in Despicable Me 3.

After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down the latest bad guy to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost brother- a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps- one former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad…

Here is the insider scoop and some excerpts from my interviews with Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, and Pharrell Williams.

Question:

“I loved the scene where you had to explain that maybe–or you almost explained that there weren’t unicorns. And I just wondered if you could talk about other times when you’ve had to manage the expectations for your kids, or producers or anybody.”

Mr. Steve Carell:

“Yes, I think it’s something that every parent has to navigate. And one of the dilemmas, I think–and Father’s Day is coming up, so I’m being reminded this week of all the foibles of being a dad–is telling them the truth, because I always want to tell my kids the truth. And sometimes when you try to couch the truth in something less than the truth, it doesn’t come out as the truth.

And I think sometimes we worry that our kids aren’t as resilient as they are and that they can handle it, and it’s–that

it’s better that they ultimately understand, you know, the truth of something. I think there’s a way to finesse that without scaring them or hurting them, but–or hurting them as much.

But I guess what I like about that scene is that he ultimately has to just tell his daughter the truth. And it’s really painful, but ultimately more painful for him than it is for her.”

In this new adventure, Gru discovers he has a twin brother. Carell voices both Gru and his brother Dru. His voice transition is flawless. Dru’s personality is distinct from his brother, unlike Gru he was raised by his father.

Kristn Wigg’s character changes from super spy to a caring involved mother. We love her!

Question:

“You kind of answered my question, but do you also get any kind of input as to stories? Since it’s like your second and your third movie, do–you know, when they approach you guys to do another one of these, do they kind of come in, “What do you think for your characters,” and things like that?’

Ms. Kristen Wiig:

“I mean, no, but only because they do such a great job writing the scripts and they’ve got such amazing writers and animators. It’s–we’re happy to just sort of like do a trust fall into these films because we’re in such good hands.

We don’t–I mean, they’re collaborative in the sense of, like, lines sometimes. We can play and do different versions, or they’ll ask if we have an idea for something. But for the most part, you know, we’re just sort of doing what’s there.”

Kristen’s character is upbeat and loving. She’s absolutely adorable…

This new adventure is full of unexpected twists and turns… My son’s favorite part of the film was when Gru and his twin brother embarked on a journey as villains. We laughed out loud while watching this movie. This film is great for the entire family.

The soundtrack in the film is sensational… In my interview with Pharrell, I was curious to know about the creative process and how this remarkable man comes up with his material.

Question:

“Hi, my name is Angela Camacho. I’m with Queen Bee Latina. Now, I noticed on the soundtrack–by the way, I want to thank you for such an upbeat–as a mom, I really appreciate music like that. My son’s 10, and we have played the CD over and over in the car.”

Mr. Pharrell Williams:

“Wow.”

Question:

“But in terms of the creative process, now is–I noticed you write a lot of the songs, particularly Fun, Fun, Fun. We love that. I mean, it’s a great song. What–can you tell me about the creative process? Is this you on your own? Do you collaborate? What’s the creative process like for you when you write your music?”

Mr. Pharrell Williams:

“For me–yes, I did it on my own. But I think more than anything else, it’s just about, like, sort of zoning out and making sure that, like, anything that I’m contributing is going to add to the vision of the director, ’cause when you’re working on an animation film they need no distractions.

Like, if the color is off and you’re watching it and you start asking questions, then it doesn’t work. So, everything has to be acutely executed and has to go along with the intention of what the director wants, because there’s like an emotional flow. And so, when you’re meant to feel down, you’re meant to feel down. When you’re meant to feel up, you’re meant to feel up. And no matter how good you think a song is, if it is a disruption from what the director wants, they’re not going to use it.

And so, for me, I was given a lot of guidelines and parameters and expectations of what they may want. And that–that’s been really fun for me. I wouldn’t have written any of these songs if it weren’t for these films and what the moments in the films required. So, it’s really cool.

It’s like–I’m more like a Mr. Magoo. I’m just following–just walking forward, and the only thing I have in–at that very moment is my instinct. You know, it’s kind of like a constant flow of curveballs. But after a while, you start to enjoy your

ability to still hit the ball, not knowing it’s coming at you. So, that’s what it’s like.”

Pharrell is a true artist, and gave me the chills when he spoke about his music.

Don’t miss out on the fun. Go see this film with your kiddos!

Say “Aloha” to the Minions. Despicable Me 3 hits theaters June 30th!

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