'Minions & Monsters' Tops July 4 Box Office But Opens to a Franchise Low

"Minions & Monsters" took the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office over the Fourth of July weekend, but the win came with an asterisk: its $61.4 million five-day opening is the softest launch of any film in the "Despicable Me" and "Minions" franchise to date.

The animated prequel, set in 1927 Hollywood and directed by franchise co-creator Pierre Coffin, earned $36.4 million over the traditional three-day frame. That's a steep drop from "Minions: The Rise of Gru," which opened to $123 million over the same holiday stretch in 2022, and "Despicable Me 4," which brought in $122 million in 2024.

Industry analysts point to a mix of factors, including America's 250th anniversary celebrations pulling audiences outdoors, a competing World Cup match, and a heat wave keeping some moviegoers home rather than heading to a theater of any kind. The film's $85 million budget — modest by franchise standards — means Universal is still expected to turn a solid profit.

Critically, "Minions & Monsters" is actually the best-reviewed entry in the franchise, holding a franchise-high 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were slightly more measured, awarding it an A- CinemaScore. Overseas, the film is performing more strongly, crossing $98 million after expanding into more than 70 international markets, pushing its worldwide total past $159 million through the weekend.

The film wasn't the only one battling holiday-weekend headwinds. Warner Bros.' "Supergirl" continued its steep decline, falling more than 70% in its second weekend, while Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story 5" quietly closed in on a $370 million domestic haul, cementing its place as one of the year's biggest hits.