Following the success of Illumination Entertainment’s film Despicable Me and a string of licensee deals, Universal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L), Illumination Entertainment and Thinkway Toys have partnered to produce toys based on the film’s sequel Despicable Me 2, arriving in theaters July 3, 2013.

Thinkway Toys has been granted the master global toy license for the film and for summer 2013 will manufacture a range of toys, figures, plush, dolls, playsets, vehicles, role play and novelty items featuring the Minions and other characters from the film.

Despicable Me, which grossed more than $543 million globally, became the tenth highest-grossing animated film in US history and the second highest-grossing animated film of 2010.

In home entertainment markets, the film has sold 13 million units worldwide since its home video debut in December 2010. Since January 2011, it has become the number one most ordered animated film on Video on Demand.  A 3D theme-park attraction based on the movie will also launch this summer at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida.