Illumination Studio Reading Worksheet
Nonfiction Reading Film & Animation History
Name:
Date:
Minion Makers: The Story of Illumination
Read the full story below. Notice the paragraph numbers (¶1 to ¶5) to help find your evidence.
Reading Focus History & Evidence
1
A Big Dream and a Fresh Vision (2007)
In 2007, an experienced movie producer named Chris Meledandri decided to start a new animation studio called Illumination Entertainment in partnership with Universal Pictures. Other Hollywood animation studios often spent huge sums of money—sometimes over $200 million—on a single film. Meledandri believed in a smarter way: keep production budgets lean, focus on simple yet lovable characters, and tell funny, heartwarming stories that appeal to all ages across the globe.
2
The Parisian Artists & The Minion Phenomenon (2010)
To animate its films, Illumination partnered with a talented studio in Paris, France (now called Illumination Studios Paris). In 2010, they released their debut feature, Despicable Me. The story followed Gru, a grumpy supervillain whose heart was transformed by three sweet orphan girls. But the surprise stars were Gru's small, yellow henchmen called Minions. French director Pierre Coffin voiced the Minions himself, speaking a playful gibberish language made of words from English, French, and Spanish. Audiences fell in love, and the Minions became the studio's official mascots.
3
Expanding into New Worlds: Pets and Music (2015–2016)
Illumination quickly proved it was not a one-hit wonder. In 2015, the yellow helpers starred in their own standalone film, Minions, which earned over $1.15 billion. Then, in 2016, Illumination released two brand-new, original blockbuster franchises. First came The Secret Life of Pets, which explored what animals do while humans are away at work. Later that year, they released Sing, an upbeat musical about animals competing in a singing contest to save a historic community theater. Both proved the studio could build entirely original worlds.
4
Bringing Classics to Life: The Grinch (2018)
In 2018, Illumination took on a classic holiday favorite by adapting Dr. Seuss's beloved book into The Grinch. The studio refreshed the tale with lively 3D computer animation, cheerful humor, and a warm message about kindness and community. It became the highest-grossing holiday film of all time, showing that the studio could honor classic literature while entertaining a modern generation of young viewers.
5
Breaking Records with Nintendo (2023)
In 2023, Illumination partnered with legendary game maker Nintendo and creator Shigeru Miyamoto to produce The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The movie faithfully captured iconic video game details, from the Mushroom Kingdom to Rainbow Road. It was a massive global triumph, earning more than $1.36 billion dollars at the box office. Today, Illumination is recognized as one of the most successful and influential animation studios in cinema history.
Illumination Studios • Nonfiction Reading Passage Turn to Page 2 for the Expanded Timeline & Activities →
Student Worksheet • Page 2
Timeline Detective & History Activities
Student:
Illumination Studio Milestone Timeline (2007–2023)
Use this timeline for Parts 1 & 2
2007 Studio Starts Chris Meledandri
2010 Despicable Me Minions arrive
2015 Minions Solo $1.15B spinoff
2016 Pets & Sing Two fresh hits
2018 The Grinch #1 holiday film
2023 Mario Bros. $1.36B record
A Part 1: Timeline Milestone Match
Match each year with the correct event
1. 2007 Studio begins
2. 2010 First movie releases
3. 2015 Minions get solo movie
4. 2016 Pets & musical dreams
5. 2018 Holiday classic arrives
6. 2023 Video game box office hit
A. The Grinch becomes top-earning holiday film.
B. The Super Mario Bros. Movie earns $1.36 billion.
C. Chris Meledandri creates Illumination with Universal.
D. Despicable Me introduces Gru and the Minions.
E. The Secret Life of Pets and Sing hit screens.
F. Minions spin-off passes $1.15 billion worldwide.
B Part 2: Timeline Detective Activity
Circle the best answer using the timeline
1. Elapsed Time: How many years passed between the studio's founding (2007) and its first movie (2010)?
Time Clue
A 3 years (2010 − 2007)
B 7 years
C 10 years
2. Chronology: Looking at the milestone timeline, which movie was released FIRST?
Sequence
A The Grinch (2018)
B Minions (2015)
C Mario Bros. (2023)
3. Timeline Clue: Which two hit movies were released in the exact same milestone year (2016)?
Check ¶ 3
A Despicable Me & Grinch
B Secret Life of Pets & Sing
C Minions & Mario Bros.
C Part 3: Evidence Hunter (Writing Scaffold)
Check ¶ 4
According to Paragraph 4, what box-office record did The Grinch set when it was released in 2018?
According to the passage, The Grinch became the
Illumination Studios • Timeline Detective & Evidence Practice Great job completing your timeline detective mission!
Illumination Studio Answer Key
Teacher Resource Answer Key & Scoring Guide
Total: 10 Points
Minion Makers: Reading & Timeline Answer Key
Reference key for the two-page Illumination Studios history and timeline worksheet.
Standard: Chronology & Text Evidence
Reading Level: Accessible / Supported
A Part 1: Timeline Milestone Match Answers (6 Points • 1 pt each)
Page 2 Activity
1. 2007 (Studio begins) → C
2. 2010 (First movie releases) → D
3. 2015 (Minions get solo movie) → F
4. 2016 (Pets & musical dreams) → E
5. 2018 (Holiday classic arrives) → A
6. 2023 (Video game box office hit) → B
B Part 2: Timeline Detective Challenge Answers (3 Points • 1 pt each)
Multiple Choice
1. Elapsed Time between founding (2007) and first film (2010): Correct: A
Answer: 3 years (2010 − 2007). Students subtract the two milestone dates from the timeline nodes.
2. Chronological sequence: Which film was released FIRST? Correct: B
Answer: Minions (2015). Occurred before The Grinch (2018) and Mario Bros. (2023).
3. Same-year double feature: Which two movies released in 2016? Correct: B
Answer: Secret Life of Pets & Sing. Directly stated in Paragraph 3 and listed under the 2016 timeline node.
C Part 3: Evidence Hunter Short Response Key (1 Point)
Check ¶ 4
Target Question: What box-office record did The Grinch set when released in 2018?
Model Completed Sentence: "According to the passage, The Grinch became the highest-grossing holiday film of all time." (or "highest-earning Christmas movie in history").
• Full Credit (1 pt): Student identifies that it became the highest-grossing or top-earning holiday/Christmas movie.
• Text Location: Paragraph 4, lines 4–5: "...highest-grossing holiday film of all time."
Teacher Accommodation & Coaching Tips
Visual Cues & Number Lines: Encourage students who struggle with elapsed time to point their finger along the milestone bar from 2007 to 2010 while counting up by ones (2008, 2009, 2010 = 3 years).
