2016 was a fantastic year for animation which seemingly saw all the big animation studios like Disney, Pixar, Laika, DreamWorks and Illumination all releasing major, critically lauded movies. Looking at the Oscar nominations for the category shows that there was so much goodness to choose from , that there wasn’t even room for Pixar’s long awaited Finding Dory on it. And yet I don’t feel disappointed as the movies that all did make it were fantastic, and if the animation studios keep producing this kind of quality, then I’m all for it.
One of the recent studios to make their mark on animation has been Illumination Entertainment, perhaps most widely known for their Despicable Me and Minions properties. And while the quality of their films has perhaps not been on par with the other studios, 2016 saw them release two really fun and successful movies, The Secret Life of Pets and Sing.
Considering that the studio works with typically smaller budgets than their bigger counterparts makes the kind of box office intake they made even more impressive (over $1 Billion between the two films internationally). And because of the success of these two properties, the studio has sequels for both those movies in production. However, you’re going to have to wait a bit longer for them as the studio has rejiggered their release schedule to fit it all in.
According to Deadline, the new release schedule will still have a third Despicable Me film in 2017, but the studio will now be releasing a Secret Life of Pets sequel on 4 July in 2019, just under later than its original 13 July 2018 date. The planned Minions 2 is actually landing a week earlier than its original date on 10 July 2020, and then Sing 2 will release on Christmas day of that year.
It might seem like quite a distance away, but animated films take a long time to make and with the studio still wrapping up work on Despicable Me 3, and the countless number of Minion shorts we are going to get in between, they do have their hands full. There could be some potential new properties they are working on in the interim as well, so hopefully it won’t just all be sequels from the studio.
Either way, as a fan of animated films, things are looking up and while I am sick of the Minions by now, there is a host of potentially good Illumination films to look forward to.
Last Updated: January 26, 2017
Raptor Rants
January 26, 2017 at 12:43
I love animations. But I did not enjoy secret life of pets.
Ottokie
January 26, 2017 at 12:46
Indeed, the story was super shallow.
PurplePariah
January 26, 2017 at 12:47
Still better than Twilight. Or any Tom Cruise movie.
Raptor Rants
January 26, 2017 at 12:48
GG
Ottokie
January 26, 2017 at 12:51
Hey. Twilight was not so bad 😛
Raptor Rants
January 26, 2017 at 12:56
WTF Otto
Original Heretic
January 26, 2017 at 13:02
Not sure what’s worse: this comment or the upvotes it received.
Ottokie
January 26, 2017 at 13:07
I was pretty surprised myself xD
Admiral Chief
January 26, 2017 at 13:27
^^^THIS^^^
Raptor Rants
January 26, 2017 at 12:49
The best character was Katy (or whatever her name was) and she appeared in the movie like 3 times. Beginning, bringing the dog home and the end.
The main characters, the animals, were…. bland…. Except the cat. Because the cat was an A class A-Hole.
Ottokie
January 26, 2017 at 12:50
And yet I will end up watching it anyway, because I have an addiction to animation movies…
Raptor Rants
January 26, 2017 at 12:56
My kid has a fascination with it so I’ve seen it a gazzilion times
Ottokie
January 26, 2017 at 12:57
I have a fascination with wreck it ralph. I have watched it an unhealthy amount of times.
Raptor Rants
January 26, 2017 at 13:19
But Wreck it Ralph is awesome. So all good
PurplePariah
January 26, 2017 at 13:22
I have to ask. Princess Unikitty?
Ottokie
January 26, 2017 at 13:23
No this is Fluffles from pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows.
PurplePariah
January 26, 2017 at 13:24
I was asking if you liked the character. I think the pink is eroding your capacity to reason.
😀
Ottokie
January 26, 2017 at 13:26
Now I am off on a google adventure.
Original Heretic
January 26, 2017 at 13:03
I can relate.
Lu
January 26, 2017 at 13:50
*Chloe. And yeah that pretty much was the most accurate depiction of a cat in any movie I’ve seen.
miaau
January 26, 2017 at 12:55
yeah, me too. Was weak.
Admiral Chief
January 26, 2017 at 13:27
Ditto, mediocre at best.
90% of the movie’s awesomeness was in the trailer
PurplePariah
January 26, 2017 at 12:54
Ps, why no mention of Storks. Best animation 2016. Screw these guys.
Original Heretic
January 26, 2017 at 13:05
As someone who has to watch animated movies countless times with my 2yr old lad, I am truly thankful for the high quality they are producing these days.
Dresden
January 26, 2017 at 13:11
Haven’t seen one of these movies. Mind you, I haven’t even seen Despicable Me or Minions.
…I don’t watch a lot of movies 🙁
PurplePariah
January 26, 2017 at 13:12
You’re not missing that much. Although saying that – watch Storks.
CodeDisQus
January 27, 2017 at 01:01
Sing was AWeSOME!! Glad we are getting more awesome quality animations!