Earlier this summer, Gen Z horror ruled the box office. Now animation is in control over the Fourth of July long weekend, but with an asterisk.
Minions & Monsters is heading toward a $64.5 million, 5-day opening over the long July 4 weekend, and a three-day number of $39.5 million. While strong enough to easily take No. 1, that’s a comedown from two years ago, when Despicable Me 4 brought in $120 million for the five days. And in 2022, Minions: The Rise of Gru brought in $122 million for the five days.
In its third weekend, Toy Story 3 continues to do strong business, and is coming in at No. 2 with around $32 million for a decline of 55 percent. It is expected to end the weekend with a massive domestic haul of $367 million or so, and it has already cleared $600 million globally.
Angel Studios’ and Wonder Project’s new entry Young Washington is taking the No. 3 spot with around $16.5 million. It earned an A cinemascore from audiences, and was timed to America’s 250th birthday. It stars William Franklyn-Miller and depicts the adventures of a 20-something George Washington.
Minions & Monsters is the latest spinoff of the Despicable Me movies and the seventh in the overall franchise that stands as the highest grossing animated series of all time. Franchise co-creator Pierre Coffin directed and penned the script with Brian Lynch. Oversees, Minions & Monsters is bringing in around $87 million.
The film earned an A- Cinemascore from audiences, and sits at a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Hollywood Reporter critic Frank Schreck writing that while it’s a bit “overstuffed,” that “for a good while at least, it’s surprisingly sophisticated and effective in its satirical humor, with so many visual gags and Easter eggs that you’ll need multiple viewings to catch them all, which is something that clearly won’t be a problem for Universal.”
DC Studios’ Supergirl is falling to No. 4 its second weekend with a decline of around 80 percent for around $8.5 million for the weekend. Meanwhile, Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day rounds out hte top five, bringing in around $5.5 million in its fourth weekend.
