Minions & Monsters Stumbles to Franchise-Low Domestic Debut as Holiday Weekend Dampens Turnout

Topline

“Minions & Monsters,” the third installment in Universal Studios’ “Despicable Me” spinoff series, collected an estimated $36.4 million across the traditional three-day weekend in North American theaters—marking the franchise’s weakest domestic opening to date, though robust international ticket sales are expected to offset the shortfall.

Key Facts

The debut fell well short of industry forecasts; BoxOffice Pro had projected a $65–75 million range just one week prior.

The film opened two days early, lifting its cumulative domestic tally to $61.4 million through the holiday period, according to Deadline.

Analysts attribute the soft turnout partly to the Fourth of July falling on a Saturday—a peak moviegoing day—when many families chose fireworks and 250th-anniversary celebrations over theaters.

Despite the slide, “Minions & Monsters” topped the traditional weekend chart, edging out “Toy Story 5,” which added an estimated $31 million in its fifth frame after previously shattering records for the Disney and Pixar franchise.

Overseas performance was far stronger, with an estimated $98 million since Wednesday for a global cumulative of roughly $159 million.

Carrying a reported $85 million production budget, the picture is already on track for profitability even after exhibitors retain roughly half of box-office receipts.

Surprising Fact

The latest entry opened roughly $20 million below the original “Despicable Me,” which launched the franchise in 2010 with a $56.3 million domestic debut and went on to generate an estimated $544 million internationally.

‘Supergirl’ Continues Steep Decline

The holiday corridor was equally punishing for “Supergirl,” which plummeted 74% in its second traditional weekend following a lackluster start. The DC superhero title grossed approximately $9.6 million since Friday, slotting behind “Minions & Monsters,” “Toy Story 5,” and “Young Washington”—Angel Studios’ historical drama that drew an estimated $20.8 million over the Independence Day holiday. By comparison, last year’s “Superman” opened to $125 million.

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