Illumination is an American movie and animation studio. It is founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007 and is owned by Universal Pictures,[5][6][7] a division of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is a division of Comcast. The Minions are Illumination's mascots.
 Logo used since 2017 | |
| Formerly | Illumination Entertainment (2007–2017) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Division |
| Industry |
|
| Founded | January 17, 2007 |
| Founder | Chris Meledandri |
| Headquarters | 2230 Broadway, , United States |
Key people | |
Number of employees | 100 (2016)[3] |
| Parent | Universal Pictures |
| Divisions |
|
| Subsidiaries | Illumination Studios Paris |
| Website | Official website |
Feature movies
changeReleased movies
change| Title | Release date | Distributor/Co-production with | Animation service | Released by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Despicable Me | July 9, 2010 | Universal Pictures | Mac Guff | Theatrical | |
| Hop | April 1, 2011 | Universal Pictures Relativity Media |
Rhythm & Hues | ||
| The Lorax | March 2, 2012 | Universal Pictures Dr. Seuss Enterprises |
Illumination Mac Guff Mac Guff |
||
| Despicable Me 2 | July 3, 2013 | Universal Pictures | Illumination Mac Guff | ||
| Minions | July 10, 2015 | ||||
| The Secret Life Of Pets | July 8, 2016 | ||||
| Sing | December 21, 2016 | ||||
| Despicable Me 3 | June 30, 2017 | ||||
| The Grinch | November 9, 2018 | Universal Pictures Dr. Seuss Enterprises |
|||
| The Secret Life Of Pets 2 | June 7, 2019 | Universal Pictures | |||
| Sing 2 | December 22, 2021 | Illumination Studios Paris | |||
| Minions: The Rise Of Gru | July 1, 2022 | ||||
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | April 5, 2023 | Universal Pictures Nintendo |
|||
| Migration | December 22, 2023 | Universal Pictures | |||
| Despicable Me 4 | July 3, 2024 |
Upcoming
change| Title | Release date | Distributor/Co-production with | Animation service |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Good Robot | June 6, 2025 | Universal Pictures Amblin Entertainment Cartoon Saloon |
Illumination Studios Paris Cartoon Saloon |
| Versa | December 25, 2025 | Universal Pictures | Illumination Studios Paris |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 | April 3, 2026 | Universal Pictures Nintendo | |
| Untitled third Minions film | July 1, 2026 | Universal Pictures | |
| Untitled film | June 30, 2027 |
In development
change| Title | Notes |
|---|---|
| The Secret Life Of Pets 3 | |
| Sing 3 | |
| Untitled Pharrell Williams film |
Short movies
changeReleased shorts
change| Title | Release date | Co-production with | Animation service | Release with | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Makeover | December 14, 2010 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | Mac Guff | Despicable Me | Home media release |
| Orientation Day | |||||
| Banana | |||||
| Brad & Gary | July 1, 2011 | Universal Pictures | Illumination Mac Guff | N/A | Theatrical release |
| Phil's Dance Party | March 23, 2012 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | Rhythm and Hues | Hop | Home media release |
| Wagon Ho! | August 7, 2012 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Dr. Seuss Enterprises |
Illumination Mac Guff | The Lorax | |
| Forces of Nature | |||||
| Serenade | |||||
| Puppy | December 10, 2013 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | Despicable Me 2 | ||
| Panic In The Mailroom | |||||
| Training Wheels | |||||
| Cro Minion | December 8, 2015 | Minions | |||
| Competition | |||||
| Binky Nelson Unpacified | |||||
| Mower Minions | July 8, 2016 | Universal Pictures | The Secret Life Of Pets | Theatrical release | |
| Norman Television | December 6, 2016 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | Home media release | ||
| Weenie | |||||
| Gunter Babysits | March 21, 2017 | Sing | |||
| Love at First Sight | |||||
| Eddie's Life Coach | |||||
| The Secret Life Of Kyle | December 5, 2017 | Despicable Me 3 | |||
| Yellow Is The New Black | November 9, 2018 | Universal Pictures | The Grinch | Theatrical release | |
| The Dog Days of Winter | November 23, 2018 | NBCUniversal Dr. Seuss Enterprises |
Television release | ||
| Santa's Little Helpers | February 5, 2019 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | Home media release | ||
| Minion Scouts | June 7, 2019 | Universal Pictures | The Secret Life Of Pets 2 | Theatrical release | |
| Super Gidget | August 27, 2019 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | Home media release | ||
| Minions & Monsters | June 11, 2021 | NBCUniversal | Minions: The Rise of Gru | Television release | |
| For Gunter's Eyes Only | March 29, 2022 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | Illumination Studios Paris | Sing 2 | Home media release |
| Animal Attraction | |||||
| Post Modern Minions | September 6, 2022 | Minions: The Rise Of Gru | |||
| Penglai | September 16, 2022 | Universal Pictures | One and All Animation Studio | N/A | Limited Theatrical Release |
| Mooned | December 22, 2023 | Universal Pictures | Illumination Studios Paris | Migration | Theatrical release |
| Fly Hard | February 27, 2024 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | Home media release | ||
| Midnight Mission | |||||
| Benny's Birthday | September 24, 2024 | Despicable Me 4 | |||
| Game Over and Over | |||||
| Sing: Thriller | October 16, 2024 | Netflix | N/A | Netflix release | |
| Untitled Super Mario Bros. short film | June 6, 2025 | Universal Pictures Nintendo |
The Good Robot | Theatrical release | |
| Sing: Holiday | December 25, 2025 | Universal Pictures | Versa |
Television specials
change| Title | Release date | Distribution/co-production with | Animation service(s) | Network(s) | Shorts included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minions Holiday Special | November 27, 2020 | NBCUniversal Television Distribution | Illumination Mac Guff | NBC | Santa's Little Helpers, Training Wheels, Puppy, and Minion Scouts |
Compilations
change| Title | Release date | Distribution/co-production with | Animation service(s) | Streaming service(s) | Shorts included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minions & More 1 | September 20, 2022 | Universal Pictures | Illumination Studios Paris | Netflix | Puppy, The Dog Days of Winter, Minion Scouts, Norman Television, Training Wheels, Love at First Sight, The Secret Life of Kyle, Weenie, Forces of Nature, and Santa's Little Helpers |
| Minions & More 2 | November 8, 2022 | Mower Minions, Super Gidget, Yellow is the New Black, Eddie's Life Coach, Competition, Serenade, Cro Minion, Wagon Ho!, Binky Nelson Unpacified, Panic in the Mailroom, and Gunter Babysits | |||
| Minions & More 3 | July 8, 2025 | Fly Hard, For Gunter's Eyes Only, Orientation Day, Animal Attraction, Banana, Home Makeover, Phil's Dance Party, Minions & Monsters, Game Over and Over, Mooned, Post Modern Minion, Benny's Birthday, and Midnight Mission |
Miscellaneous work
change| Title | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem | July 2, 2012 | Theme Park Ride |
| The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! | April 16, 2021 |
Series
changeWeb series
change| Title | Premiere date | End date | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Morning Minions | June 5, 2021 | March 5, 2022 | Facebook
|
| Who's Who? | July 13, 2023 | August 3, 2023 | TikTok
YouTube |
| Bones Story | July 10, 2025 | present |
Other medias
change| Title | Release date | Co-production with | Animation service | Release with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minion Moments: Drenched | December 5, 2017 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | Alfred Imageworks | Despicable Me 3 |
| Minion Moments: Overkill | Method Studios |
Movie franchises
change| Title | Release date |
|---|---|
| Despicable Me | 2010-present |
| Dr. Seuss | 2012-2018 |
| The Secret Life Of Pets | 2016-present |
| Sing | 2016-present |
| Super Mario Bros. film | 2023-present |
Video Games
change| Title | Year | Platform | Publisher | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depicable Me: The Game | 2010 | Nintendo Wii
Nintendo DS PlayStation 2 PlayStation Portable |
D3 Publisher | Monkey Bar Games |
| Hop | 2011 | Nintendo DS | 505 Games | |
| Minion Rush | 2013 | iOS
Google Play |
Gameloft | |
| Minions Paradise | 2015 | Electronic Arts |
References
change- ↑ Gaita, Paul (December 5, 2017). "Illumination's Chris Meledandri Melds Together Cinematic Art and Cutting-Edge Technology". Variety. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- ↑ Lang, Brent (March 5, 2020). "Illumination Taps Keith Feldman as COO (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 6, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ↑ Richford, Rhonda (December 9, 2016). "An Inside Look at Illumination's 24/7 Operation, From L.A. to Paris". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- ↑ "Illumination Partners With Streetwear Brand Brain Dead For Experimental Short Films". Cartoon Brew. April 5, 2021.
- ↑ Debruge, Peter (July 17, 2013). "Illumination Chief Chris Meledandri Lines Up Originals for Universal". Variety. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
- ↑ Kilday, Gregg (December 9, 2016). "Illumination's Chris Meledandri Talks Success Secrets, Rumors He'll Head DreamWorks". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ↑ "Why Illumination Entertainment Is One Of The Most Innovative Companies Of 2017". Fast Company. February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2017.