This is a list of theatrical animated feature films released by Universal Pictures, the film division of Comcast's NBCUniversal.
Universal Pictures releases films from Universal-owned and non-Universal owned animation studios. Most films listed below are from Illumination which began as the feature animation department of Universal, producing its first feature-length animated film Despicable Me in 2010. Beginning with How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World in 2019, Universal also released animated films by DreamWorks Animation, which was acquired by NBCUniversal in 2016. [1] [2] [3] Other studio units have also released films theatrically, including Universal Animation Studios, which now focuses mainly on animating television shows and direct-to-video films.
The studio's distribution unit acquires film rights from outside animation studios to release films under the Universal Pictures or Focus Features film labels. For example, Laika's stop-motion animated features were released by Universal through its Focus Features label. Other studios globally have released films through Universal Pictures which maintains distribution rights in certain territories.
Amblimation (1991–95) | |
Universal Animation Studios (2006–present) | |
Illumination (2010–present) | |
DreamWorks Animation (2019–present) | |
Other Universal studio | |
Third-party studio | |
Live-action/animation hybrid | S |
Distribution only | D |
An adult animated production | A |
Title | Intended theatrical release date by Universal Pictures | Animation studio | |
---|---|---|---|
Dog Man | January 31, 2025 [35] [38] | DreamWorks Animation and Scholastic Entertainment | |
The Bad Guys 2 | August 1, 2025 [35] [39] | ||
Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie [S] | September 26, 2025 [35] [40] | DreamWorks Animation | |
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 | April 3, 2026 [41] [42] | Illumination and Nintendo | |
Shrek 5 | July 1, 2026 [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] | DreamWorks Animation | |
LarryBoy | 2026 [48] [49] | Big Idea Entertainment and Kingstone Studios | |
Minions 3 | June 30, 2027 [50] | Illumination | |
Untitled live-action/animated Lego film [S] | TBA [51] | The Lego Group and Rideback |
Title | Original theatrical release date [rls 4] | Animation studio | |
---|---|---|---|
Small Soldiers [A] [S] | July 10, 1998 [st 1] | DreamWorks Pictures and Amblin Entertainment | |
The Abrafaxe – Under The Black Flag [D] | October 25, 2001(German) [st 1] | Abrafaxe Trickfilm | |
Momo [D] | December 21, 2001(Italy) [st 1] | Taurus Produktion | |
Coraline [D] | February 6, 2009 | Laika [st 2] | |
9 [A] | September 9, 2009 | Starz Animation [st 2] | |
Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! | July 10, 2009(Denmark) [rls 5] | Universal Animation Studios and Imagine Entertainment | |
Nikté [D] | December 18, 2009(Mexico) [st 1] | Animex Producciones | |
ParaNorman [D] | August 17, 2012 | Laika [st 2] | |
Underdogs [D] | July 18, 2013(Argentina) [st 1] | Prana Studios and 100 Bares Producciones | |
Moshi Monsters: The Movie [D] | December 20, 2013 [st 1] | Spider Eye Productions | |
Song of the Sea [D] | September 6, 2014(Ireland) [st 1] | StudioCanal and Cartoon Saloon | |
The Seventh Dwarf [D] | September 25, 2014(Germany) [st 1] | Zipfelmützen Film GmbH & Co. KG | |
The Boxtrolls [D] | September 26, 2014 | Laika [st 2] | |
Yellowbird [D] | October 11, 2014 [st 1] | TeamTO | |
Ratchet & Clank [D] | April 29, 2016 | Rainmaker Entertainment and Blockade Entertainment [st 3] | |
Kubo and the Two Strings [D] | August 19, 2016 | Laika [st 2] | |
Ethel & Ernest [D] | October 28, 2016 [st 1] | Cloth Cat Animation | |
The Breadwinner [D] | September 8, 2017(Canada) [st 1] | Elevation Pictures, StudioCanal, and Cartoon Saloon | |
Woody Woodpecker [S] | October 5, 2017(Brazil) [rls 5] | Universal Animation Studios and Cinemotion | |
The Boss Baby | March 21, 2018(Japan) [st 4] | DreamWorks Animation | |
The Addams Family [D] | October 11, 2019 [st 1] | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Cinesite [st 5] | |
The Addams Family 2 [D] | October 1, 2021 [st 1] [52] [53] | ||
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On [D] [S] | February 17, 2023(United Kingdom) [54] | A24, Cinereach, You Want I Should, Human Woman, Sunbeam Television & Films, and Chiodo Bros. Productions [st 2] | |
Mavka: The Forest Song [D] | March 29, 2023(France) [st 1] [55] | Animagrad Animation Studio and Film.UA | |
Piece by Piece [D] | October 11, 2024 [56] | The Lego Group, Tremolo Productions, and I Am Other [st 2] |
This list does not include films combining live-action with animation.
Rank | Film | Worldwide gross | Studio | Year | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | $1,363,298,473 | Illumination and Nintendo | 2023 | [57] |
2 | Minions | $1,159,398,397 | Illumination | 2015 | [58] |
3 | Despicable Me 3 | $1,034,799,409 | 2017 | [59] | |
4 | Despicable Me 2 | $970,761,885 | 2013 | [60] | |
5 | Despicable Me 4 | $968,240,710 | 2024 | [61] | |
6 | Minions: The Rise of Gru | $939,628,210 | 2022 | [62] | |
7 | The Secret Life of Pets | $875,457,937 | 2016 | [63] | |
8 | Sing | $634,151,679 | [64] | ||
9 | Kung Fu Panda 4 | $546,362,086 | DreamWorks Animation | 2024 | [65] |
10 | Despicable Me | $543,113,985 | Illumination | 2010 | [66] |
Release Notes
Studio/Production Notes
Rights Notes
DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA) (also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios or simply DreamWorks) is an American animation studio owned by Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The studio has released a total of 49 feature films, including several of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, with Shrek 2 (2004) having been the highest at the time of its release. Its first film, Antz, was released on October 2, 1998, and its latest film, The Wild Robot, was released on September 27, 2024. They have an upcoming theatrical slate of films, which includes Dog Man on January 31, 2025, How to Train Your Dragon on June 13, 2025, The Bad Guys 2 on August 1, 2025, Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie on September 26, 2025, and Shrek 5 on July 1, 2026.
Illumination, formerly known as Illumination Entertainment, is an American animation studio founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007 and is a division of Universal Pictures, a division of Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal; Meledandri produces the films, while Universal finances and distributes them. The studio is best known for creating the Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing franchises, as well as the adaptations of Dr. Seuss' books The Lorax and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!; and Nintendo video games, starting with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The Minions, characters from the Despicable Me series, are the mascots of the studio.
Christopher Meledandri is an American film producer and founder and CEO of Illumination. He previously served as President of 20th Century Fox Animation, and has worked as the producer for the film series of Ice Age, Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets and Sing. In 2021, he joined Nintendo's board of directors after working with the video game company on The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Meledandri also collaborates with Illumination's corporate sibling DreamWorks Animation on reviving the Shrek franchise.
Despicable Me 2 is a 2013 American animated comedy film produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment, and distributed by Universal. It is the sequel to Despicable Me (2010) and the second installment in the Despicable Me franchise. The film was directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and written by the writing team of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. It stars the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, and Ken Jeong. The film follows retired supervillain Gru as he is recruited by secret agent Lucy Wilde to investigate the theft of a powerful mutagen by El Macho, a supervillain who seeks to achieve world domination.
Paramount Animation is an American animation studio, serving as the animation division and label of Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. The division was founded on July 6, 2011, following the box office success of Paramount's own Rango and the end of their distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation in 2012.
Despicable Me is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. It centers on a former supervillain turned secret agent named Gru, his adoptive daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his yellow-colored Minions. The franchise is produced by Illumination and distributed by its parent company Universal Pictures.
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation (WBPA), formerly known as Warner Animation Group (WAG), is an American animation studio that serves as the animated feature film label of Warner Bros.' theatrical film production and distribution division, Warner Bros. Pictures. Established on January 7, 2013, by Jeff Robinov, the studio is the successor to the dissolved 2D traditional hand-drawn animation studio Warner Bros. Feature Animation, which shut down in 2004, and is also a sister to the regular Warner Bros. Animation studio.
Trolls World Tour is a 2020 American animated jukebox musical fantasy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures, based on the Good Luck Trolls dolls created by Thomas Dam. The sequel to Trolls (2016) and the second installment in the franchise, the film was directed by Walt Dohrn and co-directed by David P. Smith, from a screenplay by Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky, Elizabeth Tippet, and the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, and a story by Aibel and Berger. The film features the voices of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, James Corden, Ron Funches, Kelly Clarkson, Anderson .Paak, Sam Rockwell, George Clinton, and Mary J. Blige. The film follows Poppy and Branch as they discover several more troll tribes that represent music genres other than their own. Troubles arise when the Queen of the Rock tribe Barb plans to overthrow the foreign music genres to unite the trolls under rock music.
Trolls is an American animated media franchise created by DreamWorks Animation, inspired by the successful line of Troll doll toys created by Thomas Dam. It follows the adventures of a pair of trolls named Poppy and Branch as they live among their village of pop-singing trolls. The franchise consists of three feature films, Trolls, released in 2016, Trolls World Tour, released in 2020, and Trolls Band Together, released in 2023. The franchise has been supplemented by two holiday television specials titled Trolls Holiday and Trolls: Holiday in Harmony, and two animated series: Trolls: The Beat Goes On! on Netflix, and Trolls: TrollsTopia on Hulu and Peacock. The Trolls franchise made $5 billion in retail sales by 2005.
Culton, who made her directorial debut with Sony's Open Season, is currently writing and directing a film about a young girl and a Yeti for DWA with the working title Everest.