Illumination, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is an American animation studio and a prominent subsidiary of Universal Pictures. Renowned for its iconic characters and globally successful film franchises, Illumination has consistently delivered blockbuster hits including 'Despicable Me,' 'Minions,' 'The Secret Life of Pets,' 'Sing,' and 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie.' The studio is celebrated for creating vibrant, family-friendly entertainment with broad international appeal, often characterized by its distinctive humor, heartfelt storytelling, and memorable music. Illumination works in close collaboration with its Paris-based animation studio, Illumination Mac Guff, to produce its features.
Serves as the core for creative development, pre-production, production oversight, business affairs, marketing strategy, and overall strategic decision-making for Illumination's global entertainment properties.
Located within a modern office complex in Santa Monica, known as a hub for media and technology companies. The facilities are designed to foster a creative and collaborative environment for its U.S.-based team.
Illumination fosters a highly creative, collaborative, and dynamic work culture. It is driven by a passion for innovative storytelling and high-quality animation, emphasizing teamwork to bring universally appealing characters and narratives to global audiences.
The Santa Monica headquarters is crucial for defining Illumination's artistic direction, managing its brand, and overseeing the commercial success of its film franchises. It acts as the primary interface with parent company Universal Pictures for distribution and global marketing.
While Illumination's main creative and production hubs are in Santa Monica and Paris, its global presence is primarily actualized through Universal Pictures' extensive worldwide distribution and marketing network. This partnership ensures that Illumination's films are released and promoted in PAMPAGE_SAVED_CONTENT_MARKERtheaters and on home entertainment platforms across the globe, supported by localized marketing strategies, consumer products, and theme park attractions. The universal appeal of its characters and stories allows Illumination to connect with diverse audiences internationally.
2200 Colorado Avenue
Santa Monica
California
USA
Address: 6 Rue de la Cavalerie, 75015 Paris, France (Illumination Mac Guff studio)
Functions as the primary animation production engine, leveraging the rich artistic and technical animation talent pool in France and Europe. Its Paris location allows Illumination to tap into a deep heritage of visual arts and animation, contributing significantly to the unique look and feel of its films.
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As of April 2025, Illumination' leadership includes:
Illumination has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:
Specific day-to-day executive movements at Illumination are not always broadly publicized. A notable recent leadership update includes Keith Feldman's appointment as COO/CFO in early 2023. Top leadership, including Founder and CEO Chris Meledandri, remains consistent. Significant C-level changes are typically announced via Universal Pictures or major industry publications.
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Email addresses at Illumination likely follow common corporate patterns, potentially using the company's primary domain. Given its association with Universal Pictures and NBCUniversal, some communications might also utilize parent company email structures for certain roles.
Common formats could include [first_initial][last]@illumination.com or [first].[last]@illumination.com.
Format
cmeledandri@illumination.com
Example
70%
Success rate
Variety • March 10, 2024
Following the monumental success of 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie,' Nintendo and Illumination have officially confirmed a sequel. The upcoming animated film is scheduled to premiere in theaters on April 3, 2026, continuing the fruitful partnership built on the iconic video game franchise....more
Deadline • January 28, 2024
Illumination unveiled the first official trailer for 'Despicable Me 4,' bringing back beloved characters Gru (Steve Carell), Lucy (Kristen Wiig), their daughters, Gru Jr., and the Minions for a new action-packed adventure. The film, which introduces new characters voiced by Will Ferrell and Sofia Vergara, is set for theatrical release in July 2024....more
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