Illumination Entertainment
Encyclopedia
Illumination Entertainment is an American film
production company
, founded by Chris Meledandri
in 2007. It is owned by Universal Studios
and based in Santa Monica, California
. It is best known for its 2010 animated feature Despicable Me
.
in early 2007 and founded Illumination Entertainment. By 2008, a deal was announced positioning Illumination as NBC Universal
’s family entertainment arm that would produce one to two films a year starting in 2010. It is co-owned by Universal who exclusively distributes the films, but Illumination retains creative control as an independent production company
.
In its work, Illumination maintains creative control over development, script, marketing, publicity, and production, from under one roof but extends its reach across the globe to subcontractors which perform actual work. This is most practical in the field of animated films, since there is no need for actual sets and the presence of human actors. For instance, in the 2010 film Despicable Me
, the computer graphics were subcontracted to Mac Guff
studios in Paris, France.
Meledandri is determined to keep his company adhering to a low-cost model, recognizing that “strict cost controls and hit animated films are not mutually exclusive”. In an industry where movie expenses often exceed $100 million, Illumination’s first two releases were completed with significantly lower budgets, considering Despicable Me
’s $69 million budget and the $63 million budget of Hop. One way the company sustains a lean financial model is by employing cost-conscious animation techniques that lower the expenses and render times of its computer graphics. In addition, animators will often re-use certain components of a scene or eliminate details that are extraneous and costly to render. Other cost saving techniques include the use of matte paintings versus CGI animation for background shots, producing two pictures each year by 2013, hiring young, less expensive animators and first time directors, and maintaining a “development ratio of 3.5 projects bought for each one made”.. During the summer 2011, the French studio Mac Guff
has been splitted in two and the animation department has been acquired by Illumination Entertainment. With a capital of 3.2 millions of euros, the new company is named "Illumination Mac Guff" and is in charge of the fabrication of CGI feature movies for Illumination Entertainment.
CGI
feature, Despicable Me
, starring Steve Carell
was released on July 9, 2010. The film earned $536 million and opening at #1 on its opening weekend. It has been announced that a sequel is in development. Illumination's second film was the live action/CGI hybrid Hop, starring Russell Brand
and James Marsden
.
Illumination is currently in production on a feature film version of Dr. Seuss
’ The Lorax
, starring Danny DeVito
as the voice of the Lorax, Ed Helms
, Zac Efron
, Taylor Swift
, and Betty White
also lend their voices. Other films in pre-production include the animated feature adaptation of Ricky Gervais
’ Flanimals
books, a 3D stop-motion animated film based on The Addams Family
cartoons by Charles Addams
, which Tim Burton
will direct, a CGI
adaptation of the Uglydoll toy franchise, which creators David Horvath and Sun-Min-Kim will executive produce, and a full-length Woody Woodpecker
film with two of the writers of King of the Hill
to write.
In May 2011, Illumination announced that it will be working with Universal Studios to create a 3D, Despicable Me ride that will open at the Universal Studios Orlando theme park in 2012.
Upcoming films
Films in development
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
, founded by Chris Meledandri
Chris Meledandri
Chris Meledandri is the founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment.-Walt Disney Pictures:Before joining Fox, Meledandri was president of Dawn Steel Pictures at Walt Disney Pictures, where he served as an executive producer of Cool Runnings.-20th Century Fox Animation:During his tenure, he...
in 2007. It is owned by Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
and based in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. It is best known for its 2010 animated feature Despicable Me
Despicable Me
Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and...
.
History
Meledandri left his post as President of 20th Century Fox Animation20th Century Fox Animation
20th Century Fox Animation is the animation division of film studio 20th Century Fox.-Fox Animation Studios:Before 20th Century Fox started its animation division in 1997, 20th Century Fox released its first six animated films, such as Wizards, Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure , Fire and Ice...
in early 2007 and founded Illumination Entertainment. By 2008, a deal was announced positioning Illumination as NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
’s family entertainment arm that would produce one to two films a year starting in 2010. It is co-owned by Universal who exclusively distributes the films, but Illumination retains creative control as an independent production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
.
Process
The company does not have an in-house animation studio. Instead it subscribes to a philosophy of "global film making" - contracting independent studios all over the world on a film-by-film basis.In its work, Illumination maintains creative control over development, script, marketing, publicity, and production, from under one roof but extends its reach across the globe to subcontractors which perform actual work. This is most practical in the field of animated films, since there is no need for actual sets and the presence of human actors. For instance, in the 2010 film Despicable Me
Despicable Me
Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and...
, the computer graphics were subcontracted to Mac Guff
Mac Guff
Mac Guff is a French visual effects company based in both Los Angeles, USA and Paris, France, where it is headquartered. Mac Guff specializes in the creation of computer-generated imagery for commercials, music videos and feature films. 270 graphic artists, vfx supervisors and producers, computer...
studios in Paris, France.
Meledandri is determined to keep his company adhering to a low-cost model, recognizing that “strict cost controls and hit animated films are not mutually exclusive”. In an industry where movie expenses often exceed $100 million, Illumination’s first two releases were completed with significantly lower budgets, considering Despicable Me
Despicable Me
Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and...
’s $69 million budget and the $63 million budget of Hop. One way the company sustains a lean financial model is by employing cost-conscious animation techniques that lower the expenses and render times of its computer graphics. In addition, animators will often re-use certain components of a scene or eliminate details that are extraneous and costly to render. Other cost saving techniques include the use of matte paintings versus CGI animation for background shots, producing two pictures each year by 2013, hiring young, less expensive animators and first time directors, and maintaining a “development ratio of 3.5 projects bought for each one made”.. During the summer 2011, the French studio Mac Guff
Mac Guff
Mac Guff is a French visual effects company based in both Los Angeles, USA and Paris, France, where it is headquartered. Mac Guff specializes in the creation of computer-generated imagery for commercials, music videos and feature films. 270 graphic artists, vfx supervisors and producers, computer...
has been splitted in two and the animation department has been acquired by Illumination Entertainment. With a capital of 3.2 millions of euros, the new company is named "Illumination Mac Guff" and is in charge of the fabrication of CGI feature movies for Illumination Entertainment.
Current projects
The 3D3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
feature, Despicable Me
Despicable Me
Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and...
, starring Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
was released on July 9, 2010. The film earned $536 million and opening at #1 on its opening weekend. It has been announced that a sequel is in development. Illumination's second film was the live action/CGI hybrid Hop, starring Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
and James Marsden
James Marsden
James Paul Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. He is known for playing the superhero Cyclops in the first three X-Men films and for his roles in other commercially successful films such as Hop, Superman Returns, Hairspray, Enchanted, The Box, and 27 Dresses.-Early life...
.
Illumination is currently in production on a feature film version of Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
’ The Lorax
The Lorax
The Lorax is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and first published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, who speaks for the trees against the greedy Once-ler. As in most Dr...
, starring Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
as the voice of the Lorax, Ed Helms
Ed Helms
Edward Paul "Ed" Helms is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as Andy Bernard on the US version of the sitcom/mockumentary The Office and for his role as Dr. Stu Price in The Hangover films.- Early life :Helms was born and raised...
, Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, and Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
also lend their voices. Other films in pre-production include the animated feature adaptation of Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
’ Flanimals
Flanimals
Flanimals is a children's book series written by comedian Ricky Gervais. The book, illustrated by Rob Steen, depicts a list of seemingly useless or inadequate animals, and their behaviour.The cover Flanimal is the Grundit...
books, a 3D stop-motion animated film based on The Addams Family
The Addams Family
The Addams Family is a group of fictional characters created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. As named by Charles Addams, the Addams Family characters include Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday, Pugsley, and Thing....
cartoons by Charles Addams
Charles Addams
Charles "Chas" Samuel Addams was an American cartoonist known for his particularly black humor and macabre characters...
, which Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
will direct, a CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
adaptation of the Uglydoll toy franchise, which creators David Horvath and Sun-Min-Kim will executive produce, and a full-length Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures...
film with two of the writers of King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
to write.
In May 2011, Illumination announced that it will be working with Universal Studios to create a 3D, Despicable Me ride that will open at the Universal Studios Orlando theme park in 2012.
Feature films
Released films| # | | Title | | Release Date | | Budget | | Gross | | RT Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance... | | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Despicable Me Despicable Me Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and... |
$69,000,000 | $543,113,985 | 81% | 7.5 | |
| 2 | Hop | $63,000,000 | $183,953,723 | 26% | 5.2 |
Upcoming films
| Title | | Release Date | Dr. Seuss' The Lorax The Lorax (film) The Lorax, also known as Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, is an upcoming American computer-animated 3-D film based on Dr. Seuss' children's book of the same name. It is being produced by Illumination Entertainment and will be released by Universal Pictures on March 2, 2012, what would have been the 108th... | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Despicable Me 2 |
Films in development
| Title | Pluto Pluto (film) Pluto is an upcoming film, based on the Pluto manga by Naoki Urasawa, which is in turn a remake of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy. It has been announced as a joint between Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment and Tezuka Productions. It would be a live action/CGI hybrid film.... | |
|---|---|---|
| Uglydolls | ||
| Gospel for Teens | ||
| Dr. Seuss Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone.... ' biopic |
||
| Emily the Strange | ||
| Woody Woodpecker |
Short films
| # | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Home Makeover | |
| 2 | Orientation Day | |
| 3 | Banana |