The Minions are back, and Hollywood is counting on them to rescue a soft summer.
The projection
Minions & Monsters, the latest film in Illumination and Universal's Despicable Me franchise, is tracking for an opening of roughly $80 million domestically over the Fourth of July weekend, according to Variety. As with any pre-release figure, that is an estimate until actual grosses are reported. The film, which sends the yellow horde back to an old-Hollywood era of monster movies, is directed by Pierre Coffin, the longtime voice of the Minions, in his first solo turn behind the camera.
The reviews
Critics have been split. The Hollywood Reporter's review praised the film's first half, with its film-buff gags and nods to silent-era comedy, before faulting a back half that trades that wit for the franchise's familiar frenetic mayhem — a clever premise, in the review's telling, only half-realized.
The franchise math
The Minions have proven durable at the box office. Minions: The Rise of Gru topped $370 million domestically in 2022, helped along by a viral social-media moment, and Illumination has generally kept its animated films profitable by holding budgets in check while reaching broad family audiences. A strong opening here would extend that record.
Supergirl's slide
The timing helps Universal. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, DC Studios' summer entry, opened to a disappointing $38 million against a production budget reported north of $170 million, and is expected to fall sharply in its second weekend as family audiences flock to the Minions, per Variety's tracking. For a summer that has struggled to produce sure things, a big animated opening would be a welcome jolt — and, studios hope, a reminder that family brands still own the holiday weekends.
