Poster © Universal Pictures. Shown at reduced size for review and commentary.
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GenreAdventure, Animation & Comedy
RatedPG
Runtime1 hr 26 mins
ReleasedJuly 8, 2016
StreamingSee Where to Watch
DirectorChris Renaud
StarringLouis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart
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The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
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| The Secret Life of Pets's Details | |
| Genre | Adventure, Animation & Comedy |
| Rated | PG |
| Released | 06/16/2016 (AIAFF); 07/08/2016 (United States) |
| Streaming | See Where to Watch on this page. |
| Running Time | 1 hr 26 mins |
| Budget | $75M (reported) |
| Box Office | Updated daily from Box Office Mojo. See the numbers below. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| The Secret Life of Pets's Interests | |
| General | Window sills, leashes, dog walkers, rooftops, sewers, the ferry to Brooklyn. |
| Music | Alexandre Desplat, going full jazzy New York for a bunch of pets. |
| Movies | Toy Story (1995). New favorite moves in, old favorite gets jealous. Now with fur. |
| Television | Bluey. Another dog who basically runs the house. |
| Heroes | Gidget. Small, fluffy and absolutely willing to fight anyone for her crush. |
| The Secret Life of Pets's Crew | |
| Director | Chris Renaud |
| Writers | Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, Brian Lynch |
| Producers | Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy |
| Music | Alexandre Desplat |
| Edited By | Ken Schretzmann |
| Production | Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment |
| Distributed By | Universal Pictures |
Swap the toys for pets and the cowboy for a terrier, and you’ve basically got Toy Story with fur. It promises to show what your animals do when you leave for work, and keeps that promise for exactly one montage. A poodle flips the stereo to heavy metal, a cat raids the fridge, and it’s adorable. Then it turns into a lost-in-the-city chase about a pampered dog jealous of the big new dog hogging his bed. Eric Stonestreet’s Duke is a lovable lump, but the rivalry never gets deeper than who sleeps where. Kevin Hart is the engine as Snowball, a fluffy bunny with the energy of a parade megaphone. Jenny Slate’s Gidget is the real hero, a tiny Pomeranian who turns into an action star. A dream sequence in a sausage factory is gloriously weird. It made $875.7 million worldwide on a reported $75M. A 5.6 because the animals are funny and the plot is borrowed. $429.39 says you set up a camera to spy on your pet while you’re out and it naps through the entire recording.
What works: Kevin Hart’s Snowball and Jenny Slate’s Gidget are a riot, and the opening look at what pets do home alone is the sharpest stretch.
What doesn’t: The story is a familiar lost-and-found chase that drops its clever premise early and never gives Max and Duke much depth.
Who it’s for: Families with a dog on the couch and kids who will happily laugh at a bunny yelling about revenge.
Spoilers
Duke learns that his old owner has passed away, and the news hits him hard. Later he’s trapped in an animal control van that plunges into the East River, Max dives in to free him, and Snowball jumps in with the keys to the cage. Everyone makes it home, and Snowball gets adopted by a little girl named Molly.
Max (Louis C.K.), a Jack Russell terrier, has the perfect life in a Manhattan apartment with his owner Katie (Ellie Kemper). Then Katie comes home with Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a giant shaggy Newfoundland who hogs the bed and the bowl. Their rivalry gets them both lost on the streets of New York, collarless and dodging animal control, until a fluffy white bunny named Snowball (Kevin Hart) and his gang of abandoned pets take an interest. Back home, Gidget (Jenny Slate), the Pomeranian with a crush on Max, rounds up a rescue squad. Chris Renaud directs. Eighty-six minutes, zero leashes.
Anyone who has ever wondered what the dog does all day. Leave the TV on.
| Louis C.K. | Max |
| Eric Stonestreet | Duke |
| Kevin Hart | Snowball |
| Jenny Slate | Gidget |
| Ellie Kemper | Katie |
| Lake Bell | Chloe |
| Dana Carvey | Pops |
| Hannibal Buress | Buddy |
| Bobby Moynihan | Mel |
| Tara Strong | Sweetpea |
| Steve Coogan | Ozone |
| Albert Brooks | Tiberius |
| Chris Renaud | Norman |
| Michael Beattie | Tattoo |
| Sandra Echeverría | Maria |
| Jaime Camil | Fernando |
| Kiely Renaud | Molly |
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 18 October 2026 DataBot +40 Numbers refreshed: IMDb users 6.5 / 10 (239,776 votes) → 6.5 / 10 (239,802 votes).
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 17 October 2026 DataBot +520 Numbers refreshed: Worldwide box office $875.7M; Domestic box office $368.6M; Opening weekend $104.4M; Profit / loss (est.) +$325.3M; Rotten Tomatoes 71%; CinemaScore A−; box office chart updated; Rotten Tomatoes critics 71% (242 reviews); Metacritic 61 / 100; PostTrak audience 85% positive; CinemaScore A−; IMDb users 6.5 / 10 (239,776 votes); movie.guru score 5.8.
- (cur | prev) 12:00, 17 October 2026 DataBot +2,000 Profile created from Wikipedia and Box Office Mojo: cast, crew, release dates, budget, official trailer.