Beloved $5.6 Billion Animation Empire Is Making A Massive Comeback On Netflix U.S.

Published Jul 19, 2026, 6:48 PM EDT Adam has been writing in the entertainment news space for over a decade. Beginning his career of covering film and TV at CinemaBlend, he has also appeared on The Flash Podcast and done several radio spots. One of Hollywood’s biggest animated franchises is in the middle of an impressive comeback on Netflix in the United States. There’s been a lot to enjoy on the film industry’s animation front in 2026 so far. Pixar has delivered both Hoppers and Toy Story 5 to theaters, with the latter movie currently ranking as the year’s third-highest-grossing movie worldwide. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie still occupies the top spot in that category with its $1.01 billion haul. Netflix has also continued to be a prime destination for animated offerings. The streaming platform delivered the Michael B. Jordan-led Swapped at the beginning of May, and Sony Pictures Animation’s Goat has been a hit on Netflix following its theatrical run. Now, in the midst of the latest Illumination movie playing on big screens, one of the earlier entries from the studio’s biggest franchise is proving to be quite popular on the streaming service stateside. Minions: The Rise of Gru, the fifth movie in the Despicable Me franchise, currently ranks in ninth place on Netflix’s Top 10 movies in the United States, sandwiched between the 2004 comedy White Chicks in tenth place, and the German movie 23,000 Lives, which was exclusive released on the platform on July 27, in eighth place. Additionally, Minions: The Rise of Gru is in second place on the Top 10 Kids Movies in the United States chart, trailing only behind 2017’s The Boss Baby. MovieStillsDB Released in 2022, Minions: The Rise of Gru is a direct sequel to 2015’s Minions, which ends with the title characters meeting the young Gru. The Rise of Gru subsequently chronicles the aspiring supervillain, reprised by Steve Carell, hiring the Minions to help him achieve his goals, leading to a clash with the antagonistic Vicious 6. The movie’s cast also includes Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Steve Coogan, and Julie Andrews reprising their respective roles, as well as newcomers Dolph Lundgren, Taraji P. Henson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michelle Yeoh, and Alan Arkin. Like the first Minions movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru was a commercial success, making approximately $940 million worldwide. However, it also earned mixed critical reception, just like its predecessor. Rating the movie six out of 10 stars, ScreenRant’s review of Minions: The Rise of Gru said that it "still can't entirely justify itself, it does provide a far more heartfelt and fun outing than its predecessor.” The second Despicable Me prequel’s current Netflix success comes as its follow-up, Minions & Monsters, approaches playing in theaters for three full weeks. Chronologically, however, this latest movie is the earliest entry in the Despicable Me timeline, taking place in the 1920s. Minions & Monsters sees a group of Minions attempting to make their own monster movie during the Golden Age of Hollywood's earliest years. The cast includes Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, and Trey Parker. Minions & Monsters has enjoyed more positive critical reception than the first two Minions movies, boasting an 89% Tomatometer among professional critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Conversely, it’s only made around $358 million across the globe, making it the lowest-grossing of the Despicable Me movies. Along with Minions: The Rise of Gru, 2017’s Despicable Me 3 and the Minions & More collections of short films can be streamed on Netflix. Movie(s) Despicable Me 2, Despicable Me 3, Despicable Me 4, Despicable Me, Minions, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Minions 3 TV Show(s) Saturday Morning Minions Video Game(s) Despicable Me: Minion Rush, Despicable Me: The Game, Minions Paradise First Film Despicable Me Cast Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher, Russell Brand Created by Sergio Pablos