Minions: The Rise of Gru (also known as Minions 2) is a 2022 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the sequel to the spin-off prequel Minions (2015) and the fifth entry overall in the Despicable Me franchise. The film was directed by Kyle Balda, co-directed by Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val, and produced by Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy and Chris Renaud, from a screenplay written by Matthew Fogel, and a story by Fogel and Brian Lynch. The film features Steve Carell reprising his role as Gru and Pierre Coffin as the Minions, with Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, and Alan Arkin in supporting roles. In the film, an eleven-year-old Gru plans to become a supervillain with the help of his Mini