Who is credited as the creator of the Despicable Me franchise?

Sergio Pablos is credited as the creator of the Despicable Me franchise.

Pablos developed the original concept under the working title “Evil Me,” centering on a villainous main character. He pitched the idea to producer Chris Meledandri, whose newly formed Illumination Entertainment developed it with Universal Pictures.

Pablos’s creator credit does not mean he directed the first film. Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin directed Despicable Me, while Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio wrote the screenplay. Pablos is credited with the original story and concept that launched the series.

The first Despicable Me film arrived in 2010 and introduced Gru, his adopted daughters Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and the Minions. Chris Meledandri is the producer associated with building Illumination, while Renaud and Coffin shaped the film’s direction and Minion performances—common reasons those names are sometimes mistaken for the franchise’s creator.