Minions & Monsters, the seventh film in Universal and Illumination‘s Despicable Me franchise, opened on Wednesday, July 2, as part of the extended July 4 holiday weekend. Here is the complete breakdown of every preview, opening day, domestic weekend estimate, and global projection all in one place.
Minions & Monsters posted an estimated $13.75 million on its opening day Wednesday, and that was without any Tuesday preview screenings. The film opened across 4,000 North American theatres and immediately claimed the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office. That places it as the fourth-biggest Wednesday opening for an animated film in July, behind Despicable Me 2 ($35 million in 2013), Despicable Me 4 ($27.2 million in 2024), and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($13.79 million in 2009).
Before the North American opening even began, the film had already started generating revenue overseas. Minions & Monsters opened in 10 international territories ahead of its U.S. release and collected $10.3 million from markets including France, Belgium, Australia, and the Netherlands. This gave the film a solid head start on its global run before its main opening weekend.
The studio’s own forecast for the five-day domestic total (Wednesday through Sunday) stands at $80 million from 4,000 North American theatres. However, exhibitors and rival studios have a wider range in mind, with projections sitting anywhere between $60 million and $90 million, depending on how the holiday weekend plays out. Boxoffice Pro, forecasting only the traditional three-day weekend (Friday through Sunday), estimates a range of $65 million to $75 million.
One factor affecting the numbers is the timing of Independence Day in US, which falls on a Saturday this year, shifting the usual moviegoing patterns. The biggest days for Minions & Monsters are expected to be Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, rather than the traditional Saturday peak.
Worldwide, Minions & Monsters is projected to open to around $170 million across all markets combined, which would be more than double its $85 million production budget during its opening frame. Internationally, the film is expanding into 59 additional territories this weekend, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and China, building on the $10.3 million it has already collected from its early offshore markets.
Compared with previous entries in the franchise, however, the opening is tracking below the two most recent releases. Minions: The Rise of Gru opened to $123 million over the five-day July 4 holiday weekend in 2022, while Despicable Me 4 posted a nearly identical $122.6 million five-day debut in 2024.
At the same time, Minions & Monsters has become the best-reviewed film in the franchise, holding a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes. That creates an interesting contrast, with the strongest critical reception in the series arriving alongside the softest opening weekend tracking among its recent predecessors.
The film is set in 1920 and follows the Minions as they rise to become stars of Hollywood’s silent film era. When sound arrives, their inability to speak anything other than Minionese brings their careers to an abrupt halt. Things escalate when monsters are unleashed, forcing the Minions to band together once again to save the world. Pierre Coffin, who directed the original Despicable Me and the first Minions film, returns to direct and once again provides all of the Minion voices.
Elsewhere at the domestic box office, Toy Story 5 is expected to earn $35 million to $45 million in its third weekend after already crossing $306 million domestically and $594 million worldwide. Meanwhile, Supergirl is bracing for an estimated 60% decline in its second weekend following a disappointing debut, while new release Young Washington from Angel Studios is targeting an opening weekend of around $15 million.
With no major animated competition expected for several weeks, Minions & Monsters has a clear runway to continue building its box office totals beyond the July 4 holiday frame. Strong reviews and positive early audience response could help the film outperform its current projections as its theatrical run continues.
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