As America celebrated its birthday, Gru and the mischievous Minions lit up the box office with a fireworks display of their own. "Despicable Me 4," the latest installment in Universal and Illumination's beloved franchise about a reformed supervillain who swapped world domination for domestic bliss, reigned supreme over the competition, amassing a whopping $122.6 million in its first five days and a staggering $75 million over the three-day weekend. Its Wednesday release allowed it to capitalize fully on the Fourth of July holiday, drawing in audiences in droves.
But the appeal of "Despicable Me 4" extends far beyond the borders of the United States. Internationally, the film raked in an impressive $106.9 million across 73 markets, catapulting its global earnings to a staggering $229.5 million. Even more remarkable is its relatively modest production budget of $100 million, which promises to be highly profitable for the studios behind it, not to mention the vast array of Minion merchandise that will undoubtedly fly off the shelves. In comparison, films from Pixar and Disney, Illumination's primary rival, often cost upwards of $200 million to produce.
Meanwhile, one of those Disney-Pixar productions, "Inside Out 2," continued to dominate the box office, earning $30 million for a respectable second-place finish. This animated sequel, delving into the emotional life of a teenage girl, has been the summer's biggest hit, grossing $533.8 million domestically and a whopping $1.2 billion globally (surpassing even the Minions to become the fifth highest-grossing animated release in history). And catering to an older audience, Paramount's "A Quiet Place: Day One" raked in $21 million over the weekend, securing a third-place finish and bringing the horror prequel's domestic gross to a stellar $94.4 million.
Box office pundits are optimistic that the movie industry is regaining its footing after a dismal start to summer, marked by critical darlings such as "The Fall Guy" and "Furiosa" failing to impress audiences, leading to a near 28% drop in ticket sales. Now, however, the tide seems to be turning, with fresh installments of beloved franchises like "Despicable Me," "Inside Out," "A Quiet Place," and "Bad Boys" narrowing the deficit, bringing revenues down to a mere 17% dip.
"How a few blockbuster hits can transform the entire landscape!" exclaimed Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at ComScore. "They've truly shifted the scales, and the momentum is palpable." This upswing bodes well for other highly anticipated studio releases, including "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "Twisters," set to hit theaters this month.
Over the Independence Day holiday, A24's horror-thriller "MaXXXine" — a tale of a starlet-hunting killer unfolding in the glamour of 1980s Hollywood — debuted with $6.7 million, securing a respectable fourth-place finish. Meanwhile, Angel Studios' "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot," a heartwarming drama about a rural church and the foster children they nurture, garnered $3.2 million over the weekend, bringing its domestic total to $6.8 million. Angel Studios, based in Utah, enjoyed immense success last summer with "Sound of Freedom," a film tailored for Christian audiences that opened on the Fourth of July in 2023 and raked in over $250 million. Given its humble beginnings, "Sound of Hope" is unlikely to match that stellar performance. Similarly, "MaXXXine" had a subdued start, slightly underperforming projections that had anticipated an opening weekend of over $8 million. The film primarily drew in male viewers aged 18 to 34, with strong showings in coastal cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as in Austin, Texas, where Alamo Drafthouse, a cinephile-friendly movie theater chain, exceeded expectations.
Sony's "Bad Boys: Ride or Die," the latest collaboration between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, a blend of witty quips, explosive pyrotechnics, and jaw-dropping vehicular destruction, gracefully made its way into the top five, raking in $6.5 million, lifting its domestic tally to a whopping $177.4 million.
However, Kevin Costner's lavish Western epic, "Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1," seems destined to fade into the sunset, leaving little more than dust in its wake. This $100 million labor of love, funded by Costner mortgaging his own land, only managed to gather $5.5 million over the weekend, dragging its domestic total to a dismal $22.2 million. Despite plans for a four-film series, with the second installment slated for August, and Costner already filming the third chapter, the commercial viability of this passion project remains in question after audiences' tepid response to the first.
In stark contrast stands "Despicable Me," a franchise that has defied time, spawning numerous sequels and spin-offs since its debut in 2010. Every installment has opened at the top, making the series synonymous with the Fourth of July, with nearly every movie releasing during that period.
"This is a triumphant start for a franchise that has grown into a multi-installment juggernaut," said Jim Orr, Universal's head of distribution. "People worldwide adore Gru and the Minions, finding them ingenious, charming, and hilariously funny."
The success of "Despicable Me 4" continues to fuel the hot streak of Illumination, a studio that has delivered hits like "The Secret Life of Pets," "Sing," and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," establishing itself as one of the most dependable brands in cinema. Orr praised the company and its founder, Chris Meledandri, for "having a keen understanding of what audiences crave."
The latest "Despicable Me" adventure reprises Steve Carell's role as Gru and introduces fresh adversaries, including Will Ferrell as the French villain Maxime Le Mal and Sofia Vergara as his romantic and criminal partner. But it's the Minions, those endearing, anarchic creatures who speak in gibberish, that have captured the hearts of children, emerging as Illumination's beloved mascot. When asked about the possibility of more "Despicable Me" movies and spin-offs in the future, Orr was unequivocal. "Absolutely," he said. "Especially after a debut like this one."
