Chris Renaud

Chris Renaud is the leading director of the robust animation house based in Paris, Illumination Entertainment, creators of the Despicable Me franchise. Renaud trained in graphic arts for sports entertainment outlets, created comic books, executed comics projects for Marvel and DC Comics, did virtual production design in children’s television, and graduated as a story artist for Blue Sky Studios on such features as Robots (2005), Ice Age: Meltdown (2006), and Horton Hears a Who! (2008).

Renaud joined Illumination as director (with co-director Pierre Coffin) of the original Despicable Me (2010), starring the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, and Kristen Wiig, and grossing a knockout $543 million globally and cementing a long-running franchise for Illumination/Universal Pictures. Renaud returned to his animation roots with Dr. Seuss as director of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (2012), starring the voices of Danny De Vito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle, and Betty White, and earning a strong $351 million for Illumination/Universal.

Chris Renaud was director and did character design elements (as well as some minion voices) for the hit sequel, Despicable Me 2 (2013), with the new voices of Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, and Ken Jeong, grossing a phenomenal $971 million worldwide (on $76 million costs), making it one of the most profitable movies in Universal Pictures history. Renaud successfully launched a new Illumination/Universal franchise as director of The Secret Life of Pets (2016), co-written by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, and Brian Lynch and co-starring the voices of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Steve Coogan, and Albert Brooks, tallying a head-turning box-office total of over $885 million on $75 million costs.

Renaud returned to the director’s chair, as well as taking on character voices, for the sequel, The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019), with new voice cast member Patton Oswalt replacing the scandalized Louis C.K., and featuring new cast members Harrison Ford, Tiffany Haddish, and Nick Kroll, but grossing about half the box office of its predecessor. Renaud was director (with co-director Patrick Delage) of the long-anticipated sequel, Despicable Me 4 (2024), reuniting voice cast members Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Sofia Vergara, and Steve Coogan.

Chris Renaud has served in non-directorial capacities on Illumination productions, including as an executive producer on the $1.16-billion-grossing Despicable Me spinoff, Minions (2015), with Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, and Geoffrey Rush; on the $1-billion-plus-grossing Despicable Me 3 (2017), with new cast member Julie Andrews; and the Dr. Seuss-based The Grinch (2018), earning $526 million and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury, and Pharrell Williams. Renaud joined the voice cast taking on additional voices for Illumination’s Sing (2016), with Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, and Taron Egerton; The Secret Lives of Pets 2 (2019), and Sing 2 (2021), with the added cast voices of Bono, Eric Andre, Letitia Wright, and Nick Offerman.

Renaud took on the role of lead producer for the $940-million-grossing sequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), with the new voices of Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Brand, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julie Andrews, and Alan Arkin.