Animated Hit MINIONS Crosses $1 Billion Milestone at Worldwide Box Office

Variety reports that Universal-Illumination Entertainment's hit animated film MINIONS has crossed the $1 billion milestone at the global box office.

This achievement marks the third milestone of the week for the studio, which set a record for top domestic year on Aug. 26 with $2.113 billion and a record for top international year on Aug. 24 with $3.78 billion.

MINIONS has now grossed $682 million internationally and $321.9 million in North America, making it the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time after "Frozen" and "Toy Story 3." It's the 23rd film to gross $1 billion worldwide.The movie hit theaters on July 10, 2015.

The DESPICABLE ME spinoff tells the backstory of the MInions, who served evil masters from the tyrannosaurus to Napoleon to Dracula before hitting a dry spell, which prompts one Minion, Kevin, to take his friends Stuart and Bob in search of a new evil boss -- Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock), who is the world's first female super-villain. But before the end, the group will face the ultimate challenge -- saving all of the Minions from being wiped out.

MINIONS is directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda and written by Brian Lynch.