We’re living in an age where there are just as many animation studios as there are live-action film studios. It may have all started with Walt Disney but in the past few decades, we’ve had the likes of Pixar, Dreamworks Animation and Sony Pictures Animation among many others who are all competing together in the family friendly animation market. One of the later companies to join the roster is Illumination Entertainment. A team of individuals banded together to create a film under the Illumination banner, a film which was considered a risk at the time as it was an original property. What they didn’t realise was how much of a goldmine they were sitting on. The film in question was Despicable Me.
The yellow pill-shaped creatures known as Minions became an overnight sensation. The adorable, childish critters who spoke gobble-goop were fun, and relatable and reminded people that slapstick humour is genuinely funny. The antics the Minions got into in the first film were fun and unique enough to make a lot of money at the box office. Since then we’ve had two sequels, two spin-offs and another film currently in the works. Illumination had found its mascot, much like the famous Pixar lamp and the Dreamworks boy on the moon with the fishing rod. The question next for the company was, what happens now?
Despicable Me wasn’t a fluke, the company have crafted some surprising and entertaining franchises that includes The Secret Life of Pets and Sing. Illumination is still in its infancy technically with only a dozen films associated with them, whereas other companies have already created some prestigious and critically adored films well into their third decade. It is a shame to see the studio milk every penny out of the Minions but yet again money does talk! Sing was a welcome addition to their legacy and The Secret Life of Pets became their franchise almost dedicated to a smaller audience.
The animation which the studio creates is equally as professional and as pristine as its rivals; with some films such as The Grinch providing a luxurious and colourful palette which gives the film scope and a sense of scale that can’t be replicated in any other medium. On the other side of the coin though we have had the odd dud with one film in particular Hop, which was a live-action and CGI hybrid film about the Easter Bunny. We will let them off that one though as it was only their second feature film.
Where does Illumination go next then? What is in store for them in the future? Like I said before there is a fourth Despicable Me film in the works, but they’re also branching out by creating some new and original films with Migration coming to cinemas next year, a film about a pair of sibling ducks who are migrating to New York. Also, next year is quite possibly their biggest project yet, The Super Mario Bros. Movie! Promising an all-star voice cast and a co-production credit with Nintendo, this Mario film has the potential to be their biggest hit yet which is saying something! Who knows what else is in development, but like the name of the company the future is very much bright.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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