A 2024 movie that earned nearly $1 billion in theaters has become a global hit on Netflix. The streaming platform is known for their popular original series and movies, with some of their most-watched features being the political satire Don’t Look Up, which was nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture, the action-comedy Red Notice, which was viewed by more than 230 million users, and the 2018 apocalyptic horror-thriller Bird Box, which is the oldest тιтle that remains on Netflix’s Top 10 chart of their most-watched English-language movies.
However, the library of Netflix movies also includes vast quanтιтies of licensed тιтles. This collection is ever-changing, with the timing of different licensing agreements meaning that every month sees new тιтles arrive while others depart the platform. Even though their tenures are shorter-lived, many have the potential to become hits on the streaming service in their own right. In fact, in 2025 alone, acquired тιтles such as Non-Stop, Uncharted, Shrek, The Menu, and Spider-Man: No Way Home have all charted on the platform at various times.
Despicable Me 4 Is Trending Globally On Netflix
It Was One Of The Biggest Hits Of 2024
Despicable Me 4 has become a streaming hit mere months after ending its theatrical run in October 2024. The animated movie, which is the sixth theatrical installment in the popular Despicable Me franchise, grossed $969.1 million worldwide, earning back more than nine times its reported $100 million budget. This made it the fourth highest-grossing movie of 2024 as well as the highest-grossing movie of 2024 not to pᴀss the $1 billion milestone, behind Moana 2 ($1.056 billion), ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine ($1.338 billion), and Inside Out 2 ($1.699 billion).
Only two Despicable Me movies have grossed more than $1 billion, namely Minions ($1.157 billion) and Despicable Me 3 ($1.033 billion).
Netflix has now calculated their Top 10 list of the most-watched English-language movies on the platform during the week of February 24 through March 2. After arriving on the platform midway through the week on February 28, Despicable Me 4 is No. 2 on the chart with 8.8 million viewers amᴀssing 13.8 million viewing hours, landing it behind only Venom: The Last Dance. The animated movie is also in the Top 10 in four individual countries, namely the United States, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand.
What This Means For Despicable Me 4
The Franchise Continues To Thrive
The Netflix success of Despicable Me 4 so soon after concluding its outstanding box office run showcases just how well audiences have connected with the animated movie. If it continues to thrive on streaming, the possible Despicable Me 5 will likely be greenlit sooner rather than later. In fact, it seems likely that the only reason it hasn’t already been greenlit is the fact that the spinoff sequel Minions 3 is already set to debut in 2026, ensuring the longevity of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
Source: Netflix
