Illumination’s ‘Minions’ Just Hit A Box Office Wall Despite Their Best Reviews Ever

The Minions have spent over a decade proving they can turn chaos into cash, and this holiday weekend was supposed to be no different. ‘Minions & Monsters’ rolled into theaters with the kind of critical goodwill the franchise has never seen before, and Universal was banking on that buzz translating into another blockbuster Fourth of July run.

Instead, the numbers tell a more complicated story. According to tracking shared by industry account Luiz Fernando, ‘Minions & Monsters’ held onto the number one spot at the domestic box office for another day, pulling in a solid sixteen point four million dollars on Friday, up nearly fifty two percent from Thursday. That brought its three day U.S. cume to forty one point four million, though it remained a noticeable step down from ‘Despicable Me 4’, which had grossed twenty seven point one million on the same day back in 2024.

That gap only widened as the weekend played out. The film claimed the top spot on Friday with sixteen million dollars from over four thousand North American theaters, and was projected to gross roughly thirty nine point five million dollars across the traditional three day frame. By Saturday morning estimates, the film was tracking toward a franchise low of thirty nine point five million over three days and sixty four point five million over the five day holiday stretch, falling short of even the more conservative forecasts.

That five day number represents the worst opening weekend of the entire seven film ‘Despicable Me’ franchise, a franchise that has otherwise been one of animation’s most dependable earners. The two most recent entries in the series, 2022’s ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ and 2024’s ‘Despicable Me 4’, had both launched to well over one hundred twenty million dollars over comparable five day holiday windows, making this dip especially stark by comparison.

Part of the softness has less to do with the Minions themselves and more to do with timing. Independence Day landing on a Saturday this year meant Americans were more likely spending the holiday at barbecues and fireworks shows than in movie theaters, and a lingering heatwave along with World Cup viewing added to the competition for attention. ‘Toy Story 5’ has also been eating into family audience turnout, putting up a strong third weekend of its own.

The strange part is that none of this reflects poorly on the movie itself. ‘Minions & Monsters’ earned a 91 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, the best rating of any film in the franchise’s history, and it also picked up an A minus CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences, as shown in the screenshot. Director Pierre Coffin, who also voices the Minions and returned to the franchise after stepping away following ‘Despicable Me 3’, told Variety that each film takes an exhausting three to four years to complete, underscoring just how much work went into what critics are calling the franchise’s most accomplished entry yet.

Despite the shortfall domestically, the international numbers are picking up the slack. The film is expected to pull in around eighty seven million dollars overseas by Sunday, helping offset the weaker U.S. showing. Whether strong reviews and international support can keep ‘Minions & Monsters’ running deep into the summer the way past entries have remains to be seen, but for now the yellow henchmen are still standing at number one, even if they are limping a little to get there.

Does the underwhelming domestic debut change how you feel about where the ‘Despicable Me’ franchise goes from here?