As in the case with most Hollywood projects, there are a couple of dominant names within theanimation industry. For years, Disney was the single studio that was the face of animation in Hollywood. The company has been releasing animated features in theaters since 1937 when they premieredSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The studio continued to make hits, many of which were nominated for major awards. Theanimation landscape changed whenDreamWorks was createdin the ’90s. Their first movie,The Prince of Egypt, was critically acclaimed upon its 1998 release.
DreamWorks would go on to releaseShrek, which rivals Disney Pixar’sToy Storymoviesas one of the biggest animated series of all time.Disney and DreamWorks still dominate the box office today, with both studios producing high-grossing films in 2024. Over the last two decades, however, the animated landscape has continued to shift as studios like Blue Sky Studios, Laika, and Aardman rose to greater prominence. One non-Disney studio has produced some huge hits in recent years, and several of its films are doing well on streaming.
Illumination Is Dominating The Netflix Charts
Four Of Their Films Are On The Netflix Charts
FourIlluminationfilms have managed to chart on Netflix this week. Illumination (formerly Illumination Entertainment) was founded in 2007 by Chris Meledandri and released its first feature film,Despicable Me,in 2010. The animated movie evolved into one of the biggest franchises of all time,spawning three direct sequels as well as twoMinionspinoff movies. Though Illumination has only produced 15 feature films, its box office track record has proven that the studio is a formidable competition to the likes of Disney and DreamWorks.
Every Despicable Me Movie, Ranked Worst To Best
With Minions: The Rise of Gru being the latest, it’s time to rank each Despicable Me movie and take a look at what made them successful.
Showing its dominance once again,Illuminationis dominating theNetflixglobal charts this week. The no. 1 English-language movie, garnering 15 million views, was the Illumination sequel,The Secret Life of Pets 2. The firstSecret Life of Petsmovie made it to the no. 4 slot, while two more Illumination movies,Despicable Me 2andDespicable Me,made it to no. 5 and no. 7, respectively.
Our Take On Illumination’s Netflix Success
The Despicable Me Movies Are Leaving Soon
The Illumination’s Netflix success should come as no surprise based on recent trends.Despicable Me 4was a box office hit last year, andboth franchise films are leaving Netflix on February 1. Time frame limits will often lead viewers to watch films again, as they will be lumped in a “leaving soon” category that propels audiences to watch them. The fact thatThe Secret Life of Petsmovies were even more successful thanDespicable Me, however, shows just how farIlluminationhas come as a studio outside just their main franchise.
Source:Netflix
Despicable Me
Gru, a villain with ambitions to steal the moon, adopts three orphaned girls to aid his scheme. Unexpectedly, he finds himself growing attached to them, which complicates his plans. As Gru grapples with newfound fatherhood and his villainous aspirations, he discovers that love and family can change even the most hardened hearts.
The Secret Life of Pets
The Secret Life of Petsis an animated comedy franchise produced by Illumination Entertainment. The series explores what pets do when their owners are away, focusing on the adventures of a group of domesticated animals in New York City. The franchise is known for its humor, heartwarming moments, and its depiction of the secret lives and personalities of pets. The films have been commercially successful, appealing to both children and adults with their charming characters and relatable scenarios.
