SUNDAY AM: Refresh for more…Illumination/Universal’s Minions & Monsters saw their hides saved by foreign ticket sales with an $85M weekend (technically second wide frame), while they were squashed by franchise fatigue stateside with a $61.4M 5-day opening, the lowest start ever for the Despicable Me/Minions franchise. All in a No. 1 $146.4M global weekend across 72 territories, taking the nthquel’s running cume to $159.8M. As we previously wrote, even though this is the lowest of the bunch, the pic will be perfectly fine profit wise after its $85M net production cost and merchandise downstreams.
Yes, Disney’s live-action Moana is around the corner, and it will be big, but history has shown that these family movies ala U.S./Canada con co-exist. Holidays are on the horizon in a number of markets: France starts on Monday, UK starts in two weeks, China’s will start shortly. However, the heat wave in Europe remains a challenge and exhibs keep promoting their A.C. wares. Certainly, the World Cup has impacted multicultural audiences, especially stateside with Mexico playing tonight (however Latino and Hispanic audiences led the way to Minions & Monsters at 37% this weekend per Screen Engine/Rentrak’s PostTrak).
Universal domestic distribution boss Jim Orr said, “Illumination once again provides global audiences with a film that audiences are embracing. Minions & Monsters debuts atop the domestic box office on this holiday weekend with reaction scores that once again validate the charm, wit and heart of this most incredible franchise. We look forward to a very long and lucrative run throughout the rest of the summer.”
Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5 was a clear No. 2 at the worldwide weekend B.O. with a $100M third global weekend ($69.3M from 50 territories, $31M from North America) galloping Jessie’s movie to $764.3M at the global box office ($398M int’l, $366.3M domestic). The Andrew Stanton directed movie opened to No. 1 in Japan this weekend, with an estimated $14.6M, which is the highest MPA opening weekend of all-time. The pic remains the No. 1 non-local movie for the weekend in France, UK ($50.3M cume), Australia ($19.3M), Korea ($14.8M), Brazil and Mexico ($59M cume) as well as Belgium, Saudi Arabia, Southern Africa, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Philippines and all smaller Latin American territories.
More..we’re not done yet.
FRIDAY AM: Illumination/Universal’s Minions & Monsters has already scared up $62.6M at the global box office after two days of release in the U.S. and additional territories going Wednesday.
ON Thursday, Minions & Monsters grossed $10.8M in U.S. and Canada, following its Wednesday opening (sans previews) with $14.23M and an A- CinemaScore. The domestic running cume is now $25M. Among all Wednesday openings for an animated pic in July, Minions & Monsters ranked third behind Despicable Me 2 ($35M) and Despicable Me 4 ($27.2M).
That Wednesday-to-Thursday ease in North America of 24% for the pic is on par with Despicable Me 4‘s Wednesday-to-Thursday dip of 25%.
Business should spike further today given that most of the nation is off for the July 4 holiday, however, it’s bound to ease tomorrow due to the distraction of festivities.
Toy Story 5 was No. 2 yesterday with $8M, Supergirl No. 3 with $2.3M, Obsession No. 4 with $1.6M, and Disclosure Day No. 5 with $1.3M.
Here’s the top 6 pics at the weekly box office in North America:
- Toy Story 5 (Dis) 4,425 theaters, Wk $107.9M (-53%), Total $335.2M/Wk 2
- Supergirl (WB) 3,602 theaters, Wk $48.8M/Wk 1
- Minions & Monsters (Uni) 3,740 theaters Wk $25M/Wk 1
- Obsession (Foc) 2,640 theaters, Wk $15.9M (-29%), Total $240M/Wk 7
- Disclosure Day (Uni) 3,018 theaters, Wk $13M (-48%), Total $99.3M/Wk 3
- Jackass: Best and Last (Par) 2,855 theaters, Wk $11.9M/Wk 1
The running overseas box office through Thursday is $37.6M. On Wednesday, the little guys raided Germany, Italy, UK, Brazil, Spain and Mexico. They were No. 1 in Germany, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands. China also went today where the seventh Despicable Me/Minions universe movie is leading the day with an estimated $4.6M ahead of local superhero dramedy Keep Real from director Wenxiong Xing which has $2.9M. The overall foreign territory count for Minions & Monsters is expected to reach 71 this weekend after the Pierre Coffin directed and voiced pic began its overseas rollout in ten territories last weekend with $10M+ including France, Belgium, Australia and Netherlands.
Minions & Monsters cost $85M before P&A.
Social media reach according to RelishMix for Minions & Monsters before opening was 793M across TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook and Instagram, which is 31% ahead of family animated pic comps. That’s higher than 2022’s Minions: Rise of Gru social media universe which clocked 668.4M and higher than Toy Story 5‘s 711.8M. Those voiceover castmembers active on social include Zoey Deutch at 3M fans, Jeff Bridges at 2.4M and Bobby Moynihan at 248K.
In the U.S., the Angel Studios and Wonder Project historical drama Young Washington from director Jon Erwin opens today in 2,700 theaters.
