Universal‘s $6 billion franchise has become a streaming powerhouse ahead of its next release in just a few days. There are a multitude of Universal franchises that have seen billion-dollar levels of success over the decades, especially in recent years. From the action-packed elements of the Fast & Furious franchise to the prehistoric thrills of the Jurassic movies, Universal has delivered plenty of franchises that have made multi-billions of dollars across multiple movies. They remain reliable not only in theaters, but also as key elements to the studio’s success on streaming services.

One of these franchises is Despicable Me, a modern classic animated comedy series about former supervillain Gru (Steve Carell), who battles other villains while taking care of his ever-growing family. There are four core Despicable Me movies in the franchise, while the series has also expanded thanks to its mascots, the Minions. They have three movies themselves, with their latest, Minions & Monsters, having been released in theaters in July 2026. While it was a box office success, it’s not the last major win for the series this year.

Despicable Me’s Streaming Resurgence Comes At The Perfect Time

The Despicable Me franchise is now a streaming powerhouse thanks to HBO Max. According to data from September 4, 2026, the Despicable Me movies have become major global successes on the platform. Despicable Me 3 is Number 3 worldwide, while Despicable Me 2 sits at Number 4 and Despicable Me 4 sits at Number 5. Despicable Me 2 is also Number 1 in Mexico, while Despicable Me 4 is Number 1 in seven different countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Poland.

The franchise’s international streaming success is happening at the perfect time, too. Not only does it follow Minions & Monsters‘ critical success and strong box office performance, but it also predates a new release for the franchise. Said release is Minions & Monsters arriving on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD, all of which are set for release on September 8, 2026. The streaming success of the main movies in the franchise acts as a symbolic precursor to the release, while also depicting how globally successful the franchise remains to this day.

The Franchise’s Future Remains Unknown

However, the Despicable Me franchise currently has no concrete plans for continuation. While director Chris Renaud and Carell have both expressed interest in a Despicable Me 5, Illumination doesn’t have any additional movies in the franchise currently on their docket. As of writing, the animation studio is developing a new original sci-fi romance movie, Not Alone, set for release on April 16, 2027. In addition, The Secret Life of Pets 3 and Sing 3 are also in the works, alongside an animated Barbie movie, a third Super Mario movie, and a Donkey Kong spinoff.

The studio doesn’t have any immediate plans for Despicable Me to return, with a plethora of other projects and franchises taking priority right now. However, the billion-dollar franchise’s box office success and streaming prowess means Universal is unlikely to let it stay dormant for very long. Although nothing’s been confirmed yet, another movie could still come out at some point in the distant future.

Video Game(s)

Despicable Me: Minion Rush, Despicable Me: The Game, Minions Paradise

Created by

Sergio Pablos