Minions: The Rise of Gru Hits Theaters Worldwide Summer 2020
BILLUND, Denmark (June 3, 2019) – Universal Brand Development (Universal), Illumination and the LEGO Group today announced further expansion of their licensing partnership to include the record-setting Despicable Me franchise, launching with a collection of LEGO® building sets inspired by the upcoming feature film, Minions: The Rise of Gru. LEGO Minions building sets will be available in key international territories in 2020.
“We are excited to expand our partnership with Universal Brand Development to introduce the first LEGO sets based on Illumination’s Minions and the Despicable Me franchise,” said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing & entertainment for LEGO Group. “The films have become global blockbusters and are beloved by fans of all ages, and we believe the characters and scenes lend themselves to a creative and engaging LEGO play experience.”
Coming to theatres worldwide in summer 2020, Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru is the highly anticipated next chapter in the Despicable Me franchise, the highest-grossing animated film franchise in box office history to date.
“Universal is committed to giving fans richer, more engaging experiences through best-in-class consumer products, and we are thrilled to further expand our partnership with the LEGO Group to include Illumination’s Despicable Me franchise,” said Joe Lawandus, senior vice president and general manager, global toys and hardlines, Universal Brand Development. “Illumination’s Minions, with their bigger-than-life personalities, are global pop-culture icons, and the LEGO building sets will open up new opportunities for fans to recreate and relive their favorite moments from Minions: The Rise of Gru.”
Details of the LEGO collection will be revealed at a later date.
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About Illumination
Illumination, founded by Academy Award® nominee Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of event-animated films. The company’s releases include three of the top-eight animated films of all time, and its iconic, beloved franchises—infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance—have grossed more than $6.25 billion worldwide.
Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, is the creator of the hugely successful world of Despicable Me, which includes Minions, the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time and the most profitable film in Universal’s history, as well as the Academy Award®- nominated Despicable Me 2 and Despicable Me 3, which made more than $1 billion at the global box office.
Illumination recently launched two original properties that captivated audiences worldwide: The Secret Life of Pets, which achieved the best opening for an original movie, animated or otherwise, in U.S. history, and the global smash, Sing. And in 2018, Illumination’s Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch had the biggest opening weekend of any Christmas-themed movie in history. Illumination’s upcoming films include The Secret Life of Pets 2 in June 2019, Minions: The Rise of Gru in July 2020, and Sing 2 in Summer 2021.
About Illumination Labs
To create the custom animation and all other campaign assets for Illumination’s brand and licensing partnerships, Universal collaborates closely with Illumination Labs, Illumination’s internal creative division that has a team of over 150 people who work out of the company’s Santa Monica headquarters and IMG Studio in Paris.
About Universal Brand Development
Universal Brand Development globally drives expansion of the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand Development's core businesses include Consumer Products and Games and Digital Platforms based on the company's extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination and DreamWorks Animation. Universal Brand Development is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. www.universalbranddevelopment.com.
© UCS LLC
About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company with headquarters in Billund, Denmark, and main offices in Enfield, USA, London, UK, Shanghai, China, and Singapore. Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and based on the iconic LEGO® brick, it is one of the world's leading manufacturers of play materials. Guided by the company spirit: "Only the best is good enough”, the company is committed to the development of children and aims to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through creative play and learning. LEGO products are sold worldwide and can be virtually explored at www.LEGO.com. For more news from the LEGO Group, information about our financial performance and responsibility engagement, please visit http://www.LEGO.com/aboutus
LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2019 The LEGO Group.
