A major animated movie series from Hollywood is experiencing a significant resurgence in popularity on Netflix in the U.S.
2026 has been a great year for animated films. Pixar released both Hoppers and Toy Story 5, with Toy Story 5 currently being the third highest-grossing movie of the year globally. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie remains at the top, having earned over $1.01 billion worldwide.
Netflix remains a popular choice for animated movies and shows. Recent additions like Swapped, featuring Michael B. Jordan, and Goat from Sony Pictures Animation have performed well. Currently, an earlier film from the popular Illumination franchise is gaining traction with viewers in the United States while a new Illumination movie is still in theaters.
Currently, Minions: The Rise of Gru is the ninth most popular movie on Netflix in the U.S. It’s positioned between White Chicks (released in 2004) and the new German film 23,000 Lives. For younger viewers, Minions: The Rise of Gru is even more popular, ranking second only to The Boss Baby (from 2017) on the list of top kids’ movies.
Released in 2022, Minions: The Rise of Gru continues the story that began with the 2015 film Minions, where the characters first met a young Gru. This new movie shows Gru, voiced again by Steve Carell, trying to become a supervillain and enlisting the help of the Minions. Their plans put them on a collision course with a group of villains called the Vicious 6. The voice cast includes returning favorites Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Steve Coogan, and Julie Andrews, alongside new additions like Dolph Lundgren, Taraji P. Henson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michelle Yeoh, and Alan Arkin.
Similar to the original Minions film, Minions: The Rise of Gru performed very well at the box office, earning around $940 million globally. However, critics had mixed reactions – much like they did with the first movie. ScreenRant gave it 6 out of 10 stars, noting that while the sequel doesn’t fully stand on its own, it’s more enjoyable and emotionally resonant than the original.
As a big fan of the Despicable Me franchise, I was thrilled to see the second prequel doing so well on Netflix! It’s funny because the newest movie, Minions & Monsters, has already been out in cinemas for almost three weeks. But get this – chronologically, it’s actually the very first story in the whole series, set way back in the 1920s during the early days of Hollywood. Basically, it’s about the Minions trying their hand at making a monster movie! And the voice cast is amazing: Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg… even Trey Parker’s involved. Definitely worth checking out if you love these little yellow guys.
Despite receiving better reviews than previous Minions films – currently holding an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – Minions & Monsters has earned approximately $358 million worldwide, making it the lowest-performing movie in the Despicable Me franchise. You can now stream Minions: The Rise of Gru, Despicable Me 3, and the Minions & More shorts collection on Netflix.
2026-07-20 01:51