10 More Movies Already Cancelled In 2019 (And Why)

6. The Secret Life Of Pets 3

What We Knew

Illumination is one of the most commercially successful animated movie studios on the planet, having grossed a collective $6.4 billion across their 10 released projects to date, on an impressive total budget of just $662 million. That's quite the return-on-investment.

And with the insane $875.5 million worldwide gross of 2016's The Secret Life of Pets, the IP seemed primed to become a top-tier franchise for Illumination, second only to Despicable Me/Minions.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 quickly received the green light for release this past summer, and it was widely expected Illumination would give a third film the easy go-ahead shortly after the sequel hit cinemas and summarily chewed up the box office.

Why It Was Cancelled & The Future

In a summer jam-packed with shocking box office bombs, perhaps none proved more surprising than The Secret Life of Pets 2.

Though Illumination's smartly moderate budgets ensure their films never actually tank completely, the follow-up is just barely passing the $200 million mark worldwide after three weeks on U.S. release.

When it's all said and done, the film will probably only gross around 35% of the original's haul, giving Illumination their first major animated under-performer and ensuring they 100% won't waste resources on a third film.

With Minions: The Rise of Gru, Sing 2 and Despicable Me 4 already in the works, though, the studio will be just fine.