6 Movie Spinoffs That Worked Out Really Well

5) Minions (2015)

Whether it was intended or not, 2010 animated hit Despicable Me and its 2013 sequel introduced the world to a global phenomenon in the mischievous Minions who serve as loyal helpers for Steve Carell’s Gru. Characterized by their childlike nature and penchant for speaking in mostly gibberish, these little guys became the breakout characters of the franchise, soon appearing on every piece of merchandise Universal could get its hands on. In that case, an entire Minions film seemed like a no-brainer from a business standpoint.

That effort paid off handsomely for the studio, as Minions brought in more than $1 billion worldwide. As it stands, the film is the 11th highest-grossing movie in history worldwide and the most successful non-Disney animated film ever made. Even if it received a decidedly mixed response from most older moviegoers, it’s hard to deny the broad appeal the Minions have with children, and with Despicable Me 3 set for release in summer 2017, the characters don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.