Universal City, CA – April 17, 2019 - Ahead of this summer’s much-anticipated global theatrical debut of Illumination’s The Secret Life of Pets 2, Universal Brand Development is launching a global, multi-category licensing and merchandising program featuring a wide array of toys and consumer products. Available at retail stores worldwide beginning on May 1, 2019, the new lines will include toys, publishing, apparel and accessories, party and stationery, home goods, consumables, and more.
Illumination’s The Secret Life of Pets 2 arrives in theaters across the globe in Q2 2019, landing in North America on June 7, 2019.
“Pets bring such happiness into our lives, and Illumination’s The Secret Life of Pets 2 taps into the emotional connection between pets and their owners with humor and heart,” said Lindsay Hollingsworth, Vice President Global Franchise, Universal Brand Development. “We designed the consumer products program for The Secret Life of Pets 2 to capture the playful personalities of the film’s characters, enabling fans to bring the movie home with them through a wide array of toys and collaborations.”
The cornerstone of the toy program includes master partner, Just Play, with an assortment of plush toys, figures, play-sets and blind bags featuring new characters alongside returning fan-favorites, Max, Duke, Snowball, Gidget, and more. Additional toy partners include FUNKO with a line of POP collectibles; Ty with a collection of Beanie Babies plush; and Build-a-Bear with a line of film characters, among others.
The multi-category program also features fashion collaborations spanning, men’s, women’s, boys, girls and toddlers, a publishing program featuring storybooks, activity books and early readers, as well as a robust line of home goods, consumables, party and stationery products.
More information on partnerships supporting The Secret Life of Pets 2 is listed below.
About The Secret Life of Pets 2
Illumination’s tenth feature film, The Secret Life of Pets 2, is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2016 comedic blockbuster that had the biggest opening weekend ever for an original film, animated or otherwise.
Packed with Illumination’s signature irreverence and subversive humor, this new chapter explores the emotional lives of our pets, the deep bond between them and the families that love them, and answers the question that has long intrigued every pet owner: What are your pets really doing when you’re not at home?
Terrier Max (Patton Oswalt) is coping with some major life changes. His owner (Ellie Kemper) is now married and has a toddler, Liam. Max is so worried about protecting the boy that he develops a nervous tic. On a family trip to a farm, Max and mutt Duke (Eric Stonestreet) encounter canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a terrifying turkey, all of which only elevates Max’s anxiety. Luckily, Max gets some guidance from veteran farm dog Rooster (Harrison Ford, making his animated-film debut), who pushes Max to ditch his neuroses, find his inner alpha, and give Liam a little more freedom.
Meanwhile, while her owner is away, plucky Pomeranian Gidget (Jenny Slate) tries to rescue Max’s favorite toy from a cat-packed apartment with a little help from her feline friend, Chloe (Lake Bell), who has discovered the joys of catnip.
And crazy-but-cute bunny Snowball (Kevin Hart) gets delusions of grandeur that he’s an actual superhero after his owner Molly starts dressing him in superhero pajamas. But when Daisy (Tiffany Haddish), a fearless Shih Tzu, shows up to ask for Snowball’s help on a dangerous mission, he’ll have to summon the courage to become the hero he’s only been pretending to be.
Can Max, Snowball, Gidget and the rest of the gang find the inner courage to face their biggest fears?
The Secret Life of Pets 2 is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy, the visionary team behind Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch and the Despicable Me and Minions franchise and is written by returning Pets screenwriter Brian Lynch. The film is directed by returning filmmaker Chris Renaud, who also directed Illumination’s Despicable Me series and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. www.thesecretlifeofpets.com
About Illumination
Illumination, founded by Academy Award® nominee Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of event-animated films. The company’s franchises include three of the top-eight animated films of all time, and its iconic, beloved brands—infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance—have grossed more than $6 billion worldwide.
Illumination was recently honored by Fast Company as one of the world’s most innovative companies.
Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, has garnered an extraordinary number of franchise successes for a studio just over a decade old. As the creator of the hugely successful world of Despicable Me, which was recently crowned the top-grossing box-office animated franchise globally, Illumination has evolved the Despicable Me series to include Minions, the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time and the most profitable film in Universal’s history, as well as the Academy Award®- nominated Despicable Me 2 and summer 2017’s Despicable Me 3, which made more than $1 billion at the global box office.
Illumination recently launched two original properties that captivated audiences worldwide: The Secret Life of Pets, which achieved the best opening for an original movie, animated or otherwise, in U.S. history, and the global smash, Sing. And in 2018, Illumination’s Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch had the biggest opening weekend of any Christmas-themed movie in history.
Founded 11 years ago with the mission of putting a smile on the face of every member of the audience, no matter their age, Illumination continues to imagine both original stories, as well as unexpected adaptations of beloved pre-existing works.
Illumination’s upcoming films include Minions 2 in July 2020 and Sing 2 in December 2020.
About UNIVERSAL BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Universal Brand Development globally drives expansion of the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand Development's core businesses include Consumer Products and Games and Digital Platforms based on the company's extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination and DreamWorks Animation. Universal Brand Development is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. www.universalbranddevelopment.com.
Contact:
Molly Quiring
Molly.Quiring@nbcuni.com
818-777-9050