Illumination Entertainment has only existed for a decade, but since 2010, they've been making a name for themselves in the world of blockbuster animation. The Despicable Me franchise has been their heavy-hitter, but they've also had success with most of their other properties. Just last month, Sing was released and has done admirably for itself both critically and commercially. Illumination and Universal are obviously impressed with the movie's performance, as they've decided to pencil in a sequel for 2020.
It was announced today (via THR) that Sing 2 will be released on December 25, 2020. So if you've had your share of Christmas fun that day and want to end the holiday watching singing animals, you're in luck. Along with this announcement came some date shifts for previously announced Illumination Entertainment movies. The Secret Life of Pets 2 has been moved from July 13, 2018, to July 3, 2019, while Minions 2 has been moved to July 3, 2020, a week earlier than it was originally supposed to be released. Illuminations's version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is still planned for November 9, 2018.
Ordering a Sing sequel was a safe bet following how the movie's been doing in theaters over the last five weeks. Made off a $75 million budget, it's hauled in almost $430 million worldwide, which is pretty good nowadays for a fresh story. Between that and The Secret Life of Pets astoundingly taking in $875 million worldwide, 2016 was an extremely lucrative year for Illumination. Review-wise, Sing currently ranks at 71% among top critics on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a favorable, if not acclaimed, reception.
Sing took place in a world of anthropomorphic animals, where Buster Moon, a theater owner, hosts a singing competition so he can solve his financial troubles. The ensemble cast included Matthew McConaughey as Buster Moon the koala, Reese Witherspoon as Rosita the pig, Scarlett Johansson as Ash the porcupine, Seth MacFarlane as Mike the mouse, John C. Reilly as Eddie Noodleman the sheep, Taron Egerton as Johnny the gorilla and Tori Kelly as Meena the elephant. With Sing 2 so far away, it will be a long time until we learn specific plot information, but for now, two things are still guaranteed: plenty of animals and plenty of covers of popular songs.
Take a look at the Sing trailer below if you haven't seen the movie or want a refresher on its musical events.
Even though Sing 2 is a little under four years away from release, we'll be sure to update you on how it's progressing when substantial news comes in. Illumination Entertainment's next movie will be Despicable Me 3, which hits theaters on June 30.