With over $4.6 billion in box office revenue (and more to come very soon), Despicable Me is the highest grossing animated franchise of all time. Every film in the series has been all over Netflix’s Top 10 this year, and based on what we know so far about Despicable Me 4, it’s easy to assume that Illumination will continue this trend of raking in the cash.
So what gives? What’s the key to the animation studio's success? I asked Joey King and Miranda Cosgrove , two of the film’s stars, and they had some solid insight into the Illumination “formula.” When speaking with King, who is new to the franchise as the voice of Poppy, I mentioned that I felt Despicable Me 4’s humor was similar to that of 1980’s Airplane!. After all, they are both absurdist, non-stop joke machines.
She agreed and continued in the attempt to try and pin down just what it is Illumination is doing right: There's also a rapid fire joke aspect that also Airplane! has, which is like, every moment is filled with something funny and it never gets tiring. And it's also clever, unique, very different from the last joke, niche..
. I just think they've they've got the equation down. The formula.
Well, there you go. That’s a pretty solid sales pitch for Despicable Me 4. While we never got the new Airplane! sequel, maybe you can find solace in the new minions adventure.
Miranda Cosgrove, who voices Margo, also had a theory regarding the franchise's success. It’s more of a mixed bag, including that Pha.
