‘Migration’ in PH cinemas on Jan. 17

Elizabeth Banks lends voice to one of the characters in “Migration” —ELIZABETH BANKS/ INSTAGRAM, UNIVERSAL PICTURES

This January, meet the adorable characters created by Illumination, the animation studio behind the record-shattering “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and beloved franchises “Minions,” “Despicable Me,” “Sing” and “The Secret Life of Pets.” At the heart of the story of “Migration” is a duck family called the Mallards, who are going to embark on a great big adventure for the first time.

And it’s not just the Mallards who are doing something new. With “Migration,” a funny, emotional and visually stunning film that explores universal themes of family, curiosity and the rewards of stepping outside your comfort zone, Illumination embarks on a new adventure as well.

“At Illumination, we’re fortunate to be the stewards of a number of franchises, but we also believe that we have a mission to bring new stories and characters to the world,” Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri says. “The making of Migration has been a great adventure.”

At the core of “Migration” is a narrative that taps into the comedic and heartwarming elements of universal family dynamics, and thanks to the witty mind of Emmy winner Mike White, creator of the HBO sensation “The White Lotus,” and paired with the direction of Oscar nominee Benjamin Renner, audiences are in for quite an adventure themselves.

In “Migration,” the Mallard family is led by dad Mack (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani), who is content to keep his family safe paddling around their New England pond forever, and mom Pam (Elizabeth Banks), who prefers to shake things up and show their kids—teen son Dax (Caspar Jennings) and duckling daughter Gwen (Tresi Gazal)—the whole wide world.

When a migrating duck family alights on their pond with thrilling tales of far-flung places, Pam seizes the opportunity and persuades Mack to embark on a family trip, via New York City, to tropical Jamaica.