Minions & Monsters Opens Annecy as Franchise Chases Another Hit After $5.6B Global Haul
Updated
Updated · Deadline · Jun 20
Minions & Monsters Opens Annecy as Franchise Chases Another Hit After $5.6B Global Haul
3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Jun 20
Summary
Minions & Monsters premieres Sunday as Annecy’s opening film, extending the festival’s long tie to the franchise that first screened there with Despicable Me in 2014.
The stakes are commercial as much as ceremonial: Minions films and Despicable Me entries have grossed more than $5.6 billion worldwide, with 2015’s Minions alone topping $1.159 billion.
U.S. studios are arriving in force despite Cannes debate over their festival pullback, with Disney, Pixar, Warner Bros. and DreamWorks all planning footage reveals or preview events at Annecy.
Around the market, the industry is also debating tighter funding, generative AI and new IP strategies, while China’s animation rise remains a major theme after Ne Zha 2 reached $2.26 billion in 2025.
The June 21-27 festival opens at a moment when animation is split between billion-dollar studio ambitions and indie pressure from financing strains and shifting younger-audience habits.