When we hear the term animations, it’s natural for everyone’s mind to think about films produced by either Disney or Pixar Studios. Considering they are the premier stop for the audience to witness great animated features, it’s no wonder they are the biggest in the genre. But studios like Illumination have proven to be hot on their heels in recent times.
Ever since 2010, they have become the upcoming animation destination for the audience with their original creations such as the Despicable Me franchise and the iconic Minions series, which became a global phenomenon. Thus, along with their recent blockbuster, The Super Mario Bros. Movie making headlines all across the world, CEO Chris Meledandri is ready to take on the legends.
Illumination Is Gearing Up To Establish Itself As A Premier Animation Label Like Pixar Studios
Starting in the industry against well-established players with years of experience and legacy can be a daunting task for any organization, and when those players turn out to be cinematic giants like Disney and Pixar, it becomes even more of a terrifying challenge. But Illumination Entertainment entered the arena knowing full well who they would have to go up against in the end.
And with the astronomical success that the studio was able to achieve this year with the creation of The Super Mario Bros. Movie featuring Chris Pratt, grossing a staggering $1.3 Billion globally, it seems like they’re finally ready.
You may also like: Chris Pratt, Charlie Day Tried French Accents To Get Mario, Luigi Voices Right: “They shot that right down”
In a recent podcast interview with Matthew Belloni on his show The Town, Illumination’s Founder and CEO Chris Meledandri talked about what the company’s plans for the future hold. One of the key takeaways from this conversation was the fact they were now on the path to creating their unique image in the film industry, where everyone would go see the films they made specifically for the reason that they were made by Illumination. Meledandri said:
“I think we’re about at the halfway mark of developing the Illumination brand. It’s not yet at a place where it can change the fate of a movie in any way, shape, or form. We’re roughly at levels that are about half of what Disney and Pixar are at. Which, to me, is a huge accomplishment because we’re vastly younger and have only made a fraction of the movies of Disney.”
Thus, if they are willing to take on Disney and Pixar in the future, then we can expect some great things from them going forward.
You may also like: “We expected this movie to flop so hard”: Chris Pratt’s Super Mario Movie Leaves Fans Flabbergasted, Becomes 2nd Highest Grossing Animated Movie of All Time
What’s Next For Illumination?
With so much critical and commercial success that their creations receive, the studios are all set to up the scale and quality of their film going forward to the levels of masterpieces in the future.
You may also like: “I think it should be a full musical”: Jack Black Wants Super Mario Bros 2 to Be Like Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Sequel After Box-Office Record
The company is all set to begin production on the sequel of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in the coming months, while they already have revealed what projects they will finally be releasing for the public. Among them, is the fourth installment of their iconic Despicable Me franchise, while they have already released their last project of the year with their original film Migration.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, streaming on Netflix.
