Illumination Entertainment has been releasing its movies on Netflix in the United States for several years now. We thought we’d take a look into the future and see what Illumination Entertainment titles are on the horizon and provide a rough estimate as to when they’ll be streaming on Netflix.
Important Note: We do not know the exact length of the Netflix/Illumination Entertainment deal so this article assumes it’s an ongoing matter.
Before we look forward, let’s take a look at what Illumination titles have been on Netflix and which ones are still on the streaming service.
| Theatrical Release | Netflix Release | Netflix Removal Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minions | July 10, 2015 | April 24, 2016 | October 25, 2017 |
| The Secret Life of Pets | July 8, 2016 | April 22, 2017 | October 22, 2018 |
| Sing | December 21, 2016 | August 3, 2017 | February 4, 2019 |
| Despicable Me 3 | June 30, 2017 | April 5, 2018 | TBA |
On average, it’s taken anywhere between 7 and 10 months for the movie to drop on Netflix after the theatrical release which is why we’ll provide a range of when these titles will likely be on Netflix.
Illumination Movies Coming Soon
The Grinch
Theatrical release: November 9th, 2018
Expected Netflix Release Date: July – September 2019
Illumination Entertainment took a break from its own properties in 2018 with the release of their vision of The Grinch. It’s not the first time they’ve touched Dr. Suess with them releasing The Lorax all the way back in 2020.
The movie starred Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch and featured other cast members including Pharrell Williams, Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi5_YdxTI8Q
The Secret Life of Pets 2
Theatrical release: June 7th, 2019
Expected Netflix Release Date: March-May 2020
The first movie released back in 2016 and as we stated above, was streaming on Netflix. The first movie was a huge success and it was only a matter of time before a second movie would arrive.
One of the biggest changes in the second movie is the replacement of Louis C.K. who is being replaced by Patton Oswalt for the second outing.
Minions 2
Theatrical release: July 3rd, 2020
Expected Netflix Release Date: April – June 2021
Another Despicable Me movie is on the way but before that, the spinoff series Minions is also getting another title too. The little yellow creatures were a worldwide phenomenon and still have a massive draw. Consider the first movie cost 74 million and grossed over 1.1 billion.
The next movie will see Kyle Balda return as the director with co-direction coming from Brad Ableson and written by Brian Lynch.
Excited to share some news: I’m co-directing Minions 2! Proud 2 be working with @IllumEnt director Kyle Balda & writer @BrianLynch #minions2 pic.twitter.com/MS5iylsFEJ
— Brad Ableson (@BradAbleson) July 19, 2017
Sing 2
Theatrical release: December 25th, 2020
Expected Netflix Release Date: July – September 2021
The first Sing movie was a huge success with going directly up against Zootopia from Disney. The all-singing and dancing animal lineup will be returning.
As of right now, it’s due for release at Christmas 2020 although that date is subject to change.
Illumination Movies Coming After 2020
Looking even further ahead, there are several more projects in the pipeline for Illumination. This includes a Despicable Me 4 likely due out after 2022. There’s also rumors of an untitled Pharrell Williams movie who of course provided the title song for Despicable Me 2 called Happy.
In 2022, there’s also a collaboration movie between Illumination and Nintendo who are bringing Mario to the big screen. We’ll have this article updated as and when we know their exact release dates.
