‘Migration’ Global Box Office Flies Toward Major Milestone

Universal’s original animated film, Migration, registered another strong hold at the box office, as it nears important milestones both domestically and overseas. Now in its fifth week of release, the animated film has delivered a global box office haul of $191 million and is poised to overtake fellow Universal title, Trolls Band Together, which recently passed the $200 million milestone globally despite competition during the holidays.

Migration took fifth place domestically this weekend, grossing an estimated $5.3 million. It added $6.6 million from overseas markets, debuting in Turkey and the Philippines. The film’s running domestic total stands at just under $95 million, while its overseas haul stands at $97 million, for its combined global gross of $191 million. Migration’s top international markets are Germany ($13.5 million), France ($9.8 million), Mexico ($7.6 million), Australia ($7 million) and Spain ($4 million).

The film made a relatively soft $12.4 million in its first weekend at the domestic box office, before jumping to $17 million in weekend two. Migration hails from the illustrious Illumination, the animation house behind hit franchises such as Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing. Illumination is also responsible for the second-biggest film of 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed over $1.36 billion globally against a reported budget of $100 million.

‘Migration’ Cost About Half As Much As Most Animated Films Would Pre-Pandemic

The budget for Migration is also similarly restrained. The movie was reportedly produced for less than $80 million, which is quickly becoming the norm for animated titles in the post-pandemic era. Barring Pixar’s Elemental and Disney’s Wish — both of which cost a reported $200 million — post-pandemic animated films such as The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish have both boasted frugal budgets and big box office returns.

While a $200 million global haul might not be the result that Universal would’ve wanted for a potential new franchise-starter, the film will likely accumulate audiences at home, which is often the biggest factor in the success of movies geared toward families and children. Reviews for Migration have been positive enough; the movie stands at a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Collider’s Tania Hussain writing, “Vibrant and fun visuals with an entertaining story make this Illumination feature stand out from its usual fare.”

Featuring the voice talents of Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina, and Danny DeVito, Migration is directed by Benjamin Renner, and co-directed by Guylo Homsy. You can watch the film in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.