Migrationlands on Netflix’s global top 10 chart after earning $299 million worldwide. Directed by Benjamin Renner,Migrationhails from Illumination, the studio behind hit movies likeThe Super Mario Bros. Movieand theDespicable Mefranchise. The animated adventure comedy film, which hit theaters in late 2023, follows a family of ducks who attempt to convince their father to go on an epic adventure, with theMigrationreviewsultimately praising the endeavor.
Now,Netflixdata reveals thatMigrationranks as the fourth most popular movie on the streamer globally for the week of August 19 – 25. The animated film has racked up an impressive 11.5 million hours viewed and 8.3 million views in total, beating titles likeKingsman: The Secret Service(2014), Tòkunbọ̀ (2024), andThe Emoji Movie(2017).Migrationfalls short ofUntold: The Murder of Air McNair(2024),Incoming(2024), andThe Union(2024), which towers over the competition with 40.6 million views.
10 Best Movies Like Migration
Migration was a great story about the power of family and overcoming fear, and there are 10 other animated movies that continue that trend.
Breaking Down Migration’s Release & Performance
Why The Illumination Film Is Finding Streaming Success
Critically,Migrationfared about the same as Illumination’sDespicable Mefranchise. The animated film currently has a 73% score onRotten Tomatoes, which suggests a somewhat lukewarm reception from critics. Though the film is enjoyable enough,most reviews take issue with the overly-simplistic storytelling, which ultimately makes it feel like it’s playing it safe. As with most Illumination movies, however, the audience response was much more positive, andMigrationhas an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
TheMigrationcastfeatures the voice acting talents of actors like Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Isabela Merced, Danny DeVito, Keegan-Michael Key, and Awkwafina, among others.
ThoughMigrationdidn’t perform as well asThe Super Mario Bros. Movieor2024’sDespicable Me 4,the film is still undeniably a success. Made on an estimated budget of $72 million,Migrationwas likely looking at a break-even point of roughly $180 million, a figure it handily surpassed. Still, the film can’t be considered among Illumination’s most successful efforts, and it ultimately feels like it came and went with little fanfare.
That being said,Migration’s new streaming success speaks to the power of the Illumination name and the longevity that animation titles can have on streaming. The Illumination name is now, like Pixar, a key part of their films' marketing, and it’s very likely thata tagline like “from the studio that brought you Despicable Me” is enough to get someone to select the film’s tile on Netflix.Migrationmay be, overall, a lesser Illumination effort, but it’s clear that the film is still charming family audiences even eight months after its theatrical release.
Migration
Cast
Migration is an animated adventure-comedy from Illumination and features an ensemble cast including Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key. The cast takes on the role of a family of mallards who has lived in the safety of their pond all their lives and decide to migrate for a vacation. However, when the family discovers they migrated the wrong way, they end up in New York City, forcing them to find a way out and down to the Caribbean.
