‘Minions and Monsters’ sets off to $61 million debut, and it’s the lowest in the franchise’s history

Minions and Monsters has officially landed with a $61 million debut, Variety reported. While the movie did lead the box office over the Fourth of July weekend, those numbers are well below the initial projections of $80 million for the five-day frame. Between Friday and Monday, the film brought in $36 million from 4,243 North American locations. This result is actually the lowest start in the entire franchise, falling even behind the original 2010 movie that launched the series.

It is worth noting that the holiday calendar might have played a role here. Since July 4th fell on a Saturday, box office watchers anticipated a softer turnout across the industry. People were likely preoccupied with fireworks and barbecues to celebrate America’s 250th birthday instead of heading to the cinema. Historically, this holiday period can account for between $150 million and $200 million in total ticket sales, but this year the industry topped out at roughly $121 million across all films from Friday to Sunday.

Still, the decline is notable when you compare it to recent hits like 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru and 2024’s Despicable Me 4, which opened to $123 million and $122 million, respectively. Some industry experts think the franchise is becoming overexploited. We have seen seven chapters released over 16 years, which averages out to a new adventure every two years.

The latest entry in the Despicable Me franchise struggles at the box office

There is definitely some good news for Universal and Illumination, though. The film is performing well internationally with $86 million over the weekend and $98 million to date, bringing the worldwide total to $159.8 million. It also has a solid 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- grade on CinemaScore, so it could have some staying power throughout the summer. Plus, the production budget was a modest $85 million, which is lower than the typical $100 million price tag for these entries.

Elsewhere, the domestic box office saw a few other shake-ups. The superhero genre continues to face hurdles as Supergirl suffered a 74% decline, pulling in $9.6 million in its second weekend. With a $170 million budget, the film is projected to lose at least $100 million to $120 million during its run.

Meanwhile, Young Washington, a patriotic historical drama from Angel Studios, opened in third place with an impressive $20.8 million. The film earned an A grade on CinemaScore, showing that the studio knows exactly how to reach its target audience.

It is clear the industry is in a bit of a recovery phase. While this weekend was a setback, the summer season is still tracking 11.9% above 2025 levels. All eyes are now on upcoming releases like the live-action Moana, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day to see if the summer box office can push past the $4 billion mark.