After 16 Years, Illumination’s $5.4B Franchise Officially Sets Rotten Tomatoes History With New Movie

Illumination will go bananas over a Rotten Tomatoes record.

Sixteen years ago, Despicable Me, starring Steve Carell and Miranda Cosgrove, became the studio’s first-ever theatrical release and turned into a massive $544 million box office hit. This success put Illumination on the map, with subsequent projects like Sing, The Secret Life of Pets, and The Super Mario Bros Movie.

Meanwhile, the studio spawned its headliner into sequels and spin-offs, with the Despicable Me franchise now worth $5.4 billion. Although those installments couldn’t replicate the original’s critical success, that may change with the upcoming movie, Minions & Monsters.

With 51 reviews so far, Minions & Monsters has scored an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, breaking multiple records in the process. The new installment is not only the highest-rated film in the Despicable Me franchise, but also Illumination’s best-rated project in its 16-year history. The previous record-holder was the original Despicable Me, which had 80%.

The score will likely fluctuate as more reviews get tabulated, but Minions & Monsters beats the record by 12 points. The third Minions movie continues to tackle the origins of Gru’s yellow-skinned, capsule-shaped creatures, who became the standout characters in the original film. Rather than continuing their story with a young Gru, however, the new entry takes place 48 years before the 2015 movie, as the titular creatures try to make a monster movie in Old Hollywood.

That gamble worked in the movie’s favor, showcasing a satirical throwback to cinema and Hollywood’s Golden Age while maintaining the franchise’s silliness and humor. Most critics agree that the new installment is easily the franchise’s best, with a refreshing story, loads of action, and hilarious industry jokes. In addition, Minions & Monsters is the perfect family-friendly movie, as adults can enjoy the cultural and historical callbacks to Hollywood and cinema references.

In ScreenRant‘s review of Minions & Monsters, Liz Declan agrees that the new movie is “unquestionably the best” in the Minions series and was even surprised that “many of the early gags felt like thinly veiled adult humor” despite the G-rating. While Jesse Eisenberg’s Dork was a highlight, the rushed pacing was one of its few flaws. Awarding a solid 6 out of 10 stars, Minions & Monsters “ends with a twist that not only was a nice touch, but also “manages to elevate the cute, if a little grating characters in a movie that I would actually watch again.”

The Rotten Tomatoes score indicates an upward trend for the Minions spinoff compared to the downward pattern of the main series. After a mixed start with the 2015 movie, the second movie was a major improvement, earning 70%. However, even the Despicable Me franchise hasn’t been without its share of criticism, as the reception has been underwhelming since its genesis. In fact, Despicable Me 4, which is the most recent release in 2024, is currently the lowest-rated installment in the franchise.

The near-universal reception is a good sign for the franchise and its box office potential. Currently, Minions & Monsters is projected to make roughly $80 million during the five-day opening weekend, which overlaps with the Fourth of July. That would be the lowest debut in the spinoff series, but the positive reviews could help boost its commercial performance. Meanwhile, Universal or Illumination has yet to announce Despicable Me 5 or Minions 4.

Pierre Coffin returns to the series as both the director and voice star of the Minions in Minions & Monsters. He also wrote the screenplay with Brian Lynch. The remaining cast includes Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, and Zoey Deutch.

Minions & Monsters will release in theaters on July 1.

Release Date

June 24, 2026

Runtime

90 minutes

Producers

Chris Meledandri, Bill Ryan

Cast

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  Trey Parker

  Goomi (voice)

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  Henry / James / Ed / Dick / The Minions (voice)