The Secret Life of Pets is a 2016 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Illumination Entertainment. It is directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Yarrow Cheney, written by Brian Lynch, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio[5][2] and is the first film of the franchise of the same name. The voice cast stars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Steve Coogan, Ellie Kemper, Bobby Moynihan, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Jenny Slate, and Albert Brooks. The Secret Life of Pets premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 16, 2016, and was released in theaters in the United States on July 8, 2016, by Universal Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews and grossed $875 million worldwide, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2016, and was the year's most profitable release. A sequel, The Secret Life of Pets 2, was released on June 7, 2019 with Patton Oswalt taking over the role of Max from Louis C.K.