TV Article Minions clears $1 billion at the worldwide box office By Oliver Gettell Oliver Gettell Senior news editor, EW.com EW's editorial guidelines Published on August 28, 2015 12:00PM EDT With grosses like these, who needs a leader? Minions, Universal Pictures’ animated spinoff starring the jabbering yellow henchmen of the Despicable Me franchise, has racked up a cool billion at the worldwide box office. Minions tallied an estimated $321.9 million in North America and $682 million internationally as of Thursday night, Universal announced Friday, and it currently stands as the third-highest-grossing animated movie of all time. Featuring the voices of Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, and co-director Pierre Coffin (as the mischievous pill-shaped critters), Minions represents the highest-grossing film ever from Illumination Entertainment, Universal’s in-house animation unit. The studio has been on tear at the box office this year, with hits including Furious 7, Jurassic World, and Fifty Shades of Grey. Minions isn’t done yet either: The movie opened in Italy on Friday and is due in Turkey, China, and Greece in the coming weeks. •Universal sets international box-office record •Box office report: Minions nabs $115M, second biggest animated opening ever •Giant inflatable Minion causes traffic chaos on a Dublin road WANT MORE EW? Subscribe now to keep up with the latest in movies, television and music.