Illumination, a privately owned animation studio based in the US and operating as a division of Universal Pictures, also maintains its subsidiary Illumination Studios Paris. Founded on January 17, 2007, by Chris Meledandri, the company employs approximately 310 individuals. Functioning as an animation and post-production studio, Illumination is responsible for popular franchises including Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing. The studio has also produced adaptations of Dr. Seuss' books such as The Lorax and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and has ventured into adaptations of Nintendo video games, beginning with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Chris Meledandri produces the studio's films, which Universal finances and distributes. Characters from the Despicable Me series, the Minions, are prominently associated with the studio.
On April 25, 2026, details emerged clarifying that Minions are canonically male characters, created in a lab by Gru's inventor Dr. Nefario from a mutated DNA strand, making them unable to reproduce and thus finite in number. Previously, on April 12, the "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" continued to demonstrate strong box office performance. This followed its role in powering AMC Entertainment to its most financially successful Easter holiday weekend in the company's 106-year history, contributing to a $372 million debut and a record-breaking performance across its U.S. and international theater networks on April 5. Universal and Illumination Entertainment's "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" initially opened on April 3 with $59 million after two days in theaters, setting a record for the best Wednesday opening in April, despite receiving divided opinions from critics and fans. Earlier, on March 18, a new spin-off from the "Despicable Me" franchise, titled "Minions & Monsters," was scheduled for release on July 1, 2026. The "Despicable Me" saga has grossed nearly $5.5 billion worldwide across its six previous installments.
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