But within the Despicable Me universe, the Minions are — or were — the product of Dr. Nefario’s genetic engineering efforts to manufacture an army of loyal workers for his villain-in-chief.

“There’s a lot of them so they have a kind of power in that they can overwhelm,” says Chris Renaud, producer of Rise of Gru and director of the first two Despicable Me films. “It’s like ...

July 3 will mark the latest installment in Illumination and Universal’s Despicable Me franchise ... Russell Brand voices Dr.