MOVIE NEWS – Since the animated films Sing! and The Secret Life of Little Favorites in 2016, the Illuminations studio has not produced an original opus, i.e. a work that is not processing or continuation. In the past, this was the case with the Gru and Minions franchises, the adaptations of Dr. Zeuss’ tales (Lorax, Grinch) or the recent historical record breaking video game adaptation, Super Mario Bros.: The Movie.

In the current Christmas season, on the other hand, Migration is coming, which is an original, even an author’s work, and the director is French: Benjamin Renner. Regarding this, Illumination president Chris Meledandri told Variety that the studio is deliberately working with senior staff – mainly directors, co-directors and writers – who come not from the world of computer animation, but from other related creative arts fields. For example, in addition to being an animated filmmaker, Renner is a highly rated comic book artist who can create absurd worlds. Not to mention, he has already been nominated for an Oscar once as the director of his 2012 film, Ernest and Celestine. According to Meledandri, Renner won the prize for directing Migration, in which a family of ducks set off to fly to Jamaica via New York for a vacation, but as with all family vacations, nothing went as planned, according to Meledandri. Migration‘s unusual family film is strengthened by the fact that the screenwriter is Mike White, who with two social satires, The White Lotus and Enlightened earned himself an everlasting reputation and a prize the size of a small pallet. The ducks who go on vacation not only experience the pain of sudden conflicts overturning the usual family dynamics, but also realize that one should not shy away from challenges when radically different cultures collide.

In the meantime, a rumor has spread around the house of Illumination: Shrek 5 is coming. It’s really just a rumour, the studio hasn’t confirmed it, but it hasn’t denied it either. A biography appeared on LinkedIn, the author of which, an intern at NBCUniversal, indicated that he worked on Shrek 5. The biography quickly disappeared, but word spread. Meanwhile, we managed to unearth an interview from 2017 in which Michael McCullers (Baby Mama, Austin Powers 1-2.) mentions that he wrote a screenplay for Shrek 5. In addition, Meledandri told Variety back in April that a new Shrek is being made, presumably with the original cast of the franchise, but the details have not yet been worked out.

However, it is certain that Illumination will send Gru 4 to cinemas next summer, this has already been confirmed by all sources.

(Migration – domestic presentation: December 7, 2023.)

(Despicable Me 4 – domestic release: July 4, 2024.)

(Shrek 5. – 2025?)

Source: UIP