Universal Pictures And Illumination Entertainment's Despicable Me 2 Shatters Industry Records In Home Entertainment Debut Ringing In $80 Million In Its First Week

Blu-ray And DVD Outsells All Animated Titles Released In The Past Three Years And Marks The Highest Sales Ever For Any Animated Blu-ray Title In Its Opening Week

Release Also Generates Biggest First Week Digital Sales Of All Time

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA, Dec. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - Minion mania continues to captivate consumers across North America this holiday season with the news that the home entertainment debut of Despicable Me 2 generated $80 million in consumer spend across both physical and digital sell-through formats in its first week of release. The year's #1 comedy blockbuster sold roughly four-and-a-half million units, bigger than any animated title launch since the home entertainment premiere of Despicable Me in 2010, and produced the highest sales for any animated Blu-ray title in history in its opening week.  On the digital front, Despicable Me 2 also vaulted to the top of the charts with the largest first week sales on record and is on pace to become the most successful-selling digital title of all time.  From Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Despicable Me 2 is currently available on Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D Combo Packs, DVD and Digital HD including UltraViolet™.

"Chris Meledandri and his team at Illumination have made Despicable Me 2 part of what has become one of the most beloved and inspired film franchises of our generation," said Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  "Despicable Me 2's astonishing results across both packaged media and digital underscores the resounding demand among consumers of all ages to have instant access to the film anytime, anywhere and cements it  as one of the greatest must-own movies ever."

Despicable Me 2 has grossed more than $918 million at the worldwide box office to date, bringing the franchise's cumulative worldwide box office to nearly $1.5 billion.  Steve Carell ("The Office," The 40-Year-Old Virgin) leads a voice cast of comedic powerhouses that includes Kristin Wiig (Bridesmaids, "Saturday Night Live"), Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality, Snitch), Miranda Cosgrove ("iCarly," Despicable Me), Russell Brand (Get Him to the Greek, Hop), Steve Coogan (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Tropic Thunder), Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Turbo), Elsie Fisher (Despicable Me, Raising Hope), Dana Gaier (Despicable Me) and Moisés Arias (Ender's Game, "Hannah Montana").

About Despicable Me 2

Gru, his adorable girls, and the mischievous Minions are back with a cast of unforgettable new characters in the blockbuster sequel to the worldwide phenomenon.  Just as Gru has given up being super-bad to be a super-dad, the Anti-Villain League recruits him to track down a new criminal mastermind and save the world.   Partnered with secret agent Lucy Wilde, Gru, along with the wildly unpredictable Minions, must figure out how to keep his cover while also keeping up with his duties as a father.  Assemble the Minions for laugh-out-loud comedy in "one of the funniest, most enjoyable movies ever!" (MovieGuide®)

About Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

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The movie's official website is www.despicableme.com

Official Hashtag: #DM2

SOURCE: Universal Studios Home Entertainment