{"id":678942,"date":"2026-07-07T18:05:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T18:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/678942\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T18:05:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T18:05:17","slug":"inside-the-minions-monsters-box-office-stumble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/678942\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the \u2018Minions & Monsters\u2019 Box Office Stumble"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Fourth of July holiday brought\u00a0two box office fumbles<\/a>, but not all missteps are created equal.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start with \u201cMinions & Monsters,\u201d which grossed $61 million over the five-day holiday. That\u2019s the lowest opening weekend for the entire \u201cDespicable Me\u201d franchise and half of what \u201cMinions: The Rise of Gru\u201d grossed in 2022 over the Fourth of July, where it scored $123 million.<\/p>\n

The slippage for Universal and Illumination is a bit of a head scratcher. The film, a reinvention of sorts of the franchise and a love letter to moviemaking (it\u2019s set in Hollywood during the transition from talkies to sound), scored the best reviews of the series, but audiences were less enthusiastic than they historically are for this animated franchise. It got an A- on CinemaScore (A for previous films), 76% audience Rotten Tomatoes score (\u201cRise of Gru\u201d got 89%) and a 58% definite recommend on PostTrak (the last film had a 71% definite recommend).<\/p>\n

Perhaps the promise of a sci-fi monster movie set in classic Hollywood was a departure too far for a franchise that usually leans on spy and action tropes and a bevy of popular music. Anecdotally, I can only say my four-year-old loved it (although he is a sci-fi\/monster movie kid so this was right up his alley) and as a parent I appreciated the leveling-up in storytelling from Illumination.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible this franchise suffered from overexposure. There have been seven \u201cDespicable Me\u201d or \u201cMinions\u201d movies in 16 years, whereas the \u201cToy Story\u201d franchise \u2014 which released five movies in 30 years \u2014 has leveraged the wait between releases for maximum nostalgia.<\/p>\n

But \u201cMinions & Monsters\u201d will be fine. The $85 million budget ensures this will be a profitable endeavor. It\u2019s off to a solid start internationally (nearly $100 million this weekend) and it\u2019s likely to leg out fine with enthusiasm iffy on Disney\u2019s live-action \u201cMoana\u201d coming next weekend. Universal is also the master at navigating post-theatrical windows to maximize profit: The movie will be a hit on PVOD, then it\u2019ll get a splashy streaming launch on Peacock before eventually streaming on Netflix, where it will probably be one of the most-watched titles on the mega-streamer that year.<\/p>\n

A studio source projected confidence in the box office performance of \u201cMinions & Monsters,\u201d but it does underline another issue that\u2019s vital to the major animation studios right now: they desperately need new IP<\/a>. Pixar got a hit with \u201cHoppers\u201d earlier this year, while Illumination has \u201cNot Alone\u201d upcoming, but as these studios\u2019 most successful franchises get long in the tooth, it\u2019s vital for them to create new hits. Perhaps that\u2019s the biggest lesson from the opening weekend of \u201cMinions & Monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0other\u00a0box office blunder this weekend, \u201cSupergirl,\u201d is bad news all around. After an underwhelming $38 million launch<\/a> last weekend on the heels of poor reviews, the film tumbled 74% in its second weekend. That\u2019s worse than Sony\u2019s disastrous Marvel movie \u201cMorbius\u201d in 2022 and fellow DC misstep \u201cThe Flash\u201d in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupergirl\u201d is now on track to end its worldwide gross below the $169 million of \u201cWonder Woman 1984,\u201d which hit theaters in late 2020 during COVID. And it\u2019s only the second film in James Gunn and Peter Safran\u2019s overarching strategy for a renewed DC Films.<\/p>\n

As we wrote about\u00a0last week<\/a>, the stakes for this fall\u2019s DC film \u201cClayface\u201d are high.<\/p>\n

Now, on to the rest of this week\u2019s Reel to Real column as we tackle\u00a0a piping hot \u201cHeat 2\u201d exclusive, a shakeup at the Academy, Illumination\u2019s creative pivot and more\u00a0in this week\u2019s newsletter.<\/p>\n

As always, if you want this column directly in your inbox every Monday,\u00a0check your WrapPRO subscription settings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\""Minions<\/p>\n

\u201cMinions and Monsters\u201d (Illumination\/Universal)<\/p>\n

Box Office:\u00a0\u2018Minions\u2019 Slips to $61 Million 4th of July Launch, \u2018Supergirl\u2019 Tumbles 74%<\/p>\n

Universal\/Illumination\u2019s \u201cMinions & Monsters\u201d won\u2019t be as big of a box office hit as past \u201cDespicable Me\u201d and \u201cMinions\u201d films, as the impact of America 250 and somewhat lower audience scores have left the seventh film in the franchise with a $61 million five-day domestic box office opening, the lowest in the series.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s well below the $123 million four-day opening that \u201cMinions: The Rise of Gru\u201d earned on Fourth of July weekend in 2022 en route to a $940 million global theatrical total.<\/p>\n

To be clear, \u201cMinions & Monsters\u201d will still be a theatrical hit for Universal, as the movie has a budget of just $85 million before marketing and has also earned $98 million overseas for an estimated $160 million total worldwide through Sunday. This July 4th also had a unique impact on moviegoing, as millions of Americans opted to spend the historic 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence\u2019s signing outside rather than in a dark theater.<\/p>\n

But it does take a blow to the expectation that \u201cMinions 3\u201d would be able to coexist easily alongside the wildly popular and audience-acclaimed \u201cToy Story 5.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking of \u201cToy Story 5,\u201d that Disney\/Pixar sequel has steamed past $350 million domestic and $750 million worldwide, posting a 3-day total of $31 million in its third weekend for a $366 million domestic total and $764 million globally. It is well on its way to passing \u201cMichael\u201d as the highest-grossing film of the year so far, which would also make it the highest-grossing \u201cToy Story\u201d film before inflation adjustment.<\/p>\n

In third is Angel and Wonder Project\u2019s \u201cYoung Washington,\u201d a Fourth of July-timed offering about the future revolutionary general and first American president during his days as a British soldier. Directed by Jon Erwin, the film earned a $20.8 million opening weekend from 2,700 theaters, sitting just behind Angel\u2019s $22 million studio opening record held by the animated film \u201cDavid.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fourth is Warner Bros.\/DC\u2019s rapidly sinking \u201cSupergirl,\u201d which industry estimates have falling 74% from its poor $37.1 million opening to a second weekend total of just $9.6 million. At its current pace with a global total of $100 million, the superhero film is now on pace to finish with a global cume below the $169 million of \u201cWonder Woman 1984,\u201d a movie released at the end of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. \u2013\u00a0Jeremy Fuster<\/p>\n

\"Box<\/p>\n

Box office for the Fourth of July weekend 2026<\/p>\n

\"\"The Spotlight<\/p>\n

We kicked off the holiday weekend with a pretty monster scoop courtesy of Drew Taylor: \u201cHeat 2\u201d is on the move. Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale are set to star in writer\/director Michael Mann\u2019s $170 million sequel, filling the roles played by Val Kilmer and Al Pacino in Mann\u2019s seminal 1995 film, respectively. Adam Driver and Stephen Graham are in talks for other major roles as Mann eyes a November start date for the Amazon MGM Studios\/United Artists film. And that\u2019s not even all the details we\u2019ve got on the movie.\u00a0Read the full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Teni<\/p>\n

Teni Melidonian, former Chief Oscars Officer (Getty)<\/p>\n

New Releases<\/p>\n

A New Vision at the Academy:\u00a0As the Oscars move toward YouTube, AMPAS\u2019s Chief Oscars Officer exits.\u00a0What else does the Academy have to shed?<\/a><\/p>\n

Box Office Bonanza:\u00a0As the box office continues to be on fire, Jeremy Fuster\u00a0spoke to theater owners<\/a>\u00a0about what they\u2019re doing with the extra cash.<\/p>\n

Illumination Turns the Page:\u00a0CEO Chris Meledandri\u00a0spoke to Drew Taylor<\/a>\u00a0about why \u201cMinions & Monsters\u201d is the beginning of a new era for the animation powerhouse.<\/p>\n

Robert Richardson Speaks:\u00a0Legendary cinematographer Robert Richardson\u00a0spoke with us<\/a>\u00a0about his career and desire to work with PTA at Karlovy Vary.<\/p>\n

Jesse Eisenberg Gets Musical:\u00a0Also from Karlovy Vary, Jesse Eisenberg talked about\u00a0writing nine original songs<\/a>\u00a0for his new A24 film \u201cThe Debut.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concession Stand<\/p>\n

Neon\u00a0rescues Luca Guadagnino\u2019s \u201cArtificial,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0will mount awards push.<\/p>\n

Steven Spielberg, United Artists and Amazon MGM\u00a0nabbed the next YouTube horror sensation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not to be outdone, Warner Bros. is mounting\u00a0an adaptation of internet horror meme \u201cSiren Head\u201d<\/a>\u00a0to be written by Zach Cregger and Brian Duffield and directed by Duffield.<\/p>\n

Sony will release the Tom Hanks-starring, Marielle Heller-directed baseball movie \u201cThe Comebacker\u201d\u00a0in July 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Josh Brolin was\u00a0so freaked out<\/a>\u00a0by Ridley Scott\u2019s method of shooting with several cameras, few takes and no rehearsals that he almost quit \u201cThe Dog Stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Zoey<\/p>\n

Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson in \u201cVoicemails for Isabelle\u201d (Credit: Netflix)<\/p>\n

Streaming Corner<\/p>\n

Netflix has a rom-com streaming hit. \u201cVoicemails for Isabelle,\u201d starring Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson, notched 31 million views during its first weekend in release. That\u2019s a solid debut for the original film from writer\/director Leah McKendrick.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019m Watching<\/p>\n

Is anyone else watching \u201cThe Agency\u201d on Paramount+? Am I just \u201cDad TV\u201d-pilled or is it quietly one of the best shows on TV? I could watch Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright and Richard Gere as CIA flacks talking spycraft forever. I need eight seasons of this. If you long for a show like \u201cHomeland\u201d or \u201cThe Americans,\u201d check this out.<\/p>\n

The post Inside the \u2018Minions & Monsters\u2019 Box Office Stumble<\/a> appeared first on TheWrap<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Fourth of July holiday brought\u00a0two box office fumbles, but not all missteps are created equal. We\u2019ll start…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":678943,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[7214,96,106212,153798,195681,226738,53959,2839,152729,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-678942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-box-office","tag-entertainment","tag-illumination","tag-minions","tag-minions-and-monsters","tag-monster-movie","tag-monsters","tag-movies","tag-opening-weekend","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=678942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678942\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/678943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=678942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=678942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=678942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}