Mumbai: Universal Pictures has announced the principal voice talent for its inaugural 3-D CGI feature, Despicable Me, the studio’s first film from animation producer Chris Meledandri.

Meledandri will produce through his new Universal Pictures-based family-entertainment shingle, Illumination Entertainment, which has a multi-picture deal to deliver live-action and animated all-audience films for the Universal slate.

Lending their voices to the project will be actors like Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Russell Brand, Jemaine Clement, Jack McBrayer and Julie Andrews.

"Everybody has a wicked side, whether they are six or sixty, and yet so often storytelling draws a sharp line between good and evil," said Meledandri. "After years of taking my sons to the movies and having them leave the theatre with the villain as their favorite character, we decided to make a movie where the villain is the protagonist."

Directed by Chris Renaud & Pierre Coffin and written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, Despicable Me is produced by Meledandri, John Cohen and Janet Healy.

"Renaud has an unerring track record of producing top notch animated family films with attitude, wit and style, and we are excited to announce his first project for our studio from Universal’s co-venture with him, Illumination Entertainment.," said Universal Pictures co-chairman David Linde.