[tldr]Universal’s Minions & Monsters topped the US July 4 box office with roughly $64m over its first five days, the weakest opening in Despicable Me franchise history and far below the $120m-plus debuts of its two predecessors. The soft start raises franchise-fatigue questions for Comcast’s most reliable animation machine.[/tldr]
Universal’s Minions & Monsters led the US holiday box office with about $64m in North American ticket sales since its 1 July debut, according to studio estimates. It is the weakest opening yet for the seventh film in the Despicable Me franchise.
The three-day weekend came in at $36.4m, a franchise low. Despicable Me 4 opened to $120m over the same five-day stretch two years ago, and Minions: The Rise of Gru managed $122m in 2022.
The film still won the weekend comfortably, with Toy Story 5 holding on in the top ranks and Supergirl tumbling 74% in its second frame. For Comcast’s Universal and Chris Meledandri’s Illumination, though, the numbers show wear on a famously durable machine.
The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!Illumination remains Hollywood’s most reliable animation house, and it is the studio behind the record-breaking Super Mario Bros Movie, the payoff of Nintendo’s decades-long flirtation with Hollywood. Its franchises have earned billions for Universal on comparatively modest budgets.
