The Animated Movie Franchise Absolutely Dominating Netflix Right Now

One of the most beloved animated franchises from the last decade is dominating on Netflix. Back in the 2000s, there were only three real major players in the world of blockbuster animation: Disney, DreamWorks, and Pixar (which would later be absorbed by the House of Mouse). While Warner Bros. Animation and Sony Pictures Animation had consistent offerings, they failed to reach the same heights as the likes of "Lilo & Stitch," "Shrek," and "The Incredibles." At the turn of the decade, a new player emerged in the form of Illumination Entertainment. Backed by Universal Pictures, they debuted "Despicable Me" to significant financial acclaim, with the animated comedy grossing over $540 million. 

Today, "Despicable Me" has blown up as a multimedia franchise, comprised of several spin-offs, video games, and theme park attractions. It's Illumination's marquee franchise and shows no signs of stopping a decade after its debut. Audiences are still obsessed with the super-villain Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) and his adorable yellow, pill-shaped Minions, as the first three films in the trilogy are dominating the global Netflix charts for early to mid-February 2024. "Despicable Me 3," which hit cinemas in 2017, is the number one film globally on the streaming platform. "Despicable Me 2" and "1" sit at the number five and six spot, respectively. The buck doesn't stop there, as the billion-dollar grossing "Minions" spin-off is casually resting on the number four spot. Overall, 40% of the top ten most-watched Netflix offerings are films from the "Despicable Me" franchise. 

This type of viewership bodes well for the upcoming "Despicable Me 4," which is set to grace multiplexes in early July 2024. 

For Illumination, "Despicable Me" has been a consistent cash cow, to the point where they've developed five films in 14 years, with a sixth on its way in the form of "Despicable Me 4." In the grander scheme of things, Illumination is a relatively new studio, but they've managed to deliver hits, and it looks like "Despicable Me 4" is another knockout for the Universal-backed animation juggernaut. 

The fourth film in the franchise doubles down on Gru as a family man, showing him enjoying his life as a husband and father to his kids, including his new son Gru Jr. Unfortunately, suburban shenanigans are cut short when supervillains Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell) and Valentina (voiced by Sofia Vergara) emerge from the shadows to plot their revenge on Gru and his family. With the franchise doing so well on Netflix, it's clear that anticipation is high for "Despicable Me 4," which recently debuted a Super Bowl spot mocking the use of AI-generated images.

It should be noted that the franchise is dominating the global Netflix charts, which aggregates viewership and popularity based on the 190 countries that the streaming platform is available. Stateside, only "Minions" is streaming on Netflix. Interested in watching the "Despicable Me" trilogy in the United States? "Despicable Me" and its sequel are available to stream with a Peacock subscription. "Despicable Me 3," meanwhile is available for rent or purchase on your favorite digital storefront, such as Apple TV or YouTube. The first "Minions" streams on Netflix, while its sequel "The Rise of Gru" can be watched on Peacock.