Minions & Monsters opened in first place, but it did not get the Hollywood ending it wanted. The film launched with $61.4 million over the five-day July 4 weekend.
Its three-day total landed at $36.4 million. That marks a franchise low for the Despicable Me universe.
The number falls well below recent franchise entries. Despicable Me 4 earned $120 million over five days two years ago, while Minions: The Rise of Gru brought in $122 million over five days in 2022.
Overseas Numbers Offer Better News
The international picture looks stronger. Minions & Monsters has grossed $98.43 million overseas after expanding to 71 markets.
The film is also bringing in around $87 million overseas. That gives Universal and Illumination a stronger global story than the domestic debut alone suggests.
Minions & Monsters is the latest spinoff from the Despicable Me movies. It is the seventh film in the overall franchise, which remains the highest-grossing animated series of all time.
Another High-Profile Release Underwhelms
Minions & Monsters is the second major film in a row to underperform, though it still counts as a hit. Last week’s Supergirl faced a much rougher start with $37.1 million.
This weekend, the DC Studios film fell to fourth place with $9.6 million. That marks a 74 percent decline. Supergirl now has $58.5 million domestically. Its worldwide total stands at $100.5 million. The movie is on track for a $125 million loss.
Toy Story 5 Stays Strong
Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 continued its strong run. The film came in second with around $31 million. Toy Story 5 has now reached $764.3 million worldwide. That makes it the No. 3 film of the year so far.
The film has earned $366 million domestically. Disney is especially pleased with its $14.6 million opening in Japan, the biggest ever for a Hollywood studio in the country.
Young Washington Becomes a Sleeper Hit
Angel Studios and Wonder Project also scored this weekend. Their new release, Young Washington, took third place with around $16.5 million. The film earned an A Cinemascore from audiences. Its release was timed to America’s 250th birthday.
Young Washington also benefited from unexpected social media support. Chris Pratt, who is not involved in the project, posted about the film online. The film stars William Franklyn-Miller. It follows the adventures of a 20-something George Washington.
Disclosure Day Rounds Out the Top Five
Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day completed the top five. The film brought in $6 million in its fourth weekend. The weekend showed a mixed box office picture. Family films still held power, but even major animated franchises faced tighter expectations.
The top 12 movies, as of Sunday, July 5, are as follows.
| # | Title | Distributor Name | Weekend Total | # of Locs | Loc Avg | Cume Total | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minions & Monsters | Universal | $36,400,000 | 4,243 | $8,579 | $61,441,000 | |
| 2 | Toy Story 5 | Disney | $31,000,000 | 3,975 | $7,799 | $366,348,690 | -56% |
| 3 | Young Washington | Angel Studios | $20,847,688 | 2,700 | $7,721 | 20,847,688 | |
| 4 | Supergirl | Warner Bros. | $9,600,000 | 3,602 | $2,665 | 58,470,000 | -74% |
| 5 | Disclosure Day | Universal | $6,000,000 | 2,702 | $2,221 | $105,312,000 | -27% |
| 6 | Obsession | Focus Features | $5,300,000 | 2,640 | $2,008 | 245,318,000 | -45% |
| 7 | Backrooms | A24 | $3,308,387 | 2,079 | $1,591 | 190,480,127 | -25% |
| 8 | jackass: best and last | Paramount | $2,700,000 | 2,855 | $946 | 14,690,000 | -68% |
| 9 | Scary Movie | Paramount | $1,130,000 | 1,158 | $976 | 106,252,000 | -63% |
| 10 | Invite, The | A24 | $800,708 | 28 | $28,597 | 1,369,500 | 111% |
| 11 | Masters of the Universe | Amazon MGM Studios | $726,000 | 920 | $789 | 63,878,003 | -69% |
| 12 | Alpha (dir. Rawail) | Yash Raj Films | $616,230 | 480 | $1,284 | 616,230 |
