"Despicable Me" Makes History as First Animated Franchise in History to Cross $5 Billion

“Despicable Me 4” topped the international box office by hitting $88 million to top charts. 

The animated sequel’s global haul now stands at $437.8 million. Over the weekend, the “Despicable Me” series of movies became the first animated franchise in history to cross the $5 billion mark.

“Despicable Me 4” brings back Steve Carell as Gru, a reformed supervillain, and pits him against Will Ferrell as Maxime Le Mal, a former schoolmate turned bad guy and rival. 

The Universal and Illumination movie is playing in nearly 80 foreign markets, including China, where it debuted across 35,000 screens and 11,000 locations to earn $11.8 million.

Another animated smash, “Inside Out 2,” continued to rack up strong ticket sales around the world. 

The Disney and Pixar release earned $50.2 million from 47 material territories, pushing its international haul to $777.5 million and making it the fifth highest-grossing animated film of all time, bypassing “Despicable Me 3.” Globally, “Inside Out” has earned a massive $1.36 billion. It is the only 2024 release to join the $1 billion club.