o launch an entirely original movie in the franchise era is a bold gesture. This is especially true of animation, where takings for Pixar originals in recent years have plunged in comparison to 2019’s billion-dollar-busting and 2018’s follow-up to . The folks at Illumination are no strangers to box officebothering franchises themselves. The architects behind , they also raked in a staggering $1.362 billion with 2023’s . It’s perhaps no surprise that they’re feeling confident now as the, a wholly original new animated feature about a family of ducks.
