What was Despicable Me's working title during development?

Despicable Me’s working title during development was Evil Me.

The title reflected the original pitch by Spanish animator and writer Sergio Pablos, which centered on a main character with villainous attributes. Producer Chris Meledandri developed the concept after Pablos presented it, and screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio began shaping the story that became the 2010 film.

The project eventually changed direction from a straightforward villain story into a family comedy about Gru, an ambitious supervillain whose adoption of Margo, Edith, and Agnes transforms him. That shift helps explain why Evil Me is sometimes remembered as an alternate title rather than the name of a different film.

Illumination recruited Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud to direct, making Despicable Me the studio’s first feature film. It was released by Universal Pictures in 2010 and introduced Gru, the Minions, Vector, and the franchise’s distinctive mix of criminal schemes and family sentiment.