---
title: "'Minions & Monsters' Eyes an $80 Million July 4th Opening"
description: "Universal and Illumination's latest trip into the Despicable Me universe is tracking for a roughly $80 million opening over the Fourth of July weekend — a projected hit that would give a wobbly summer box office a jolt, even as DC's 'Supergirl' braces for a steep second-weekend fall."
category: "Entertainment"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/entertainment
author: "Tyler Grant"
published: 2026-06-30T19:48:00.000Z
updated: 2026-06-30T19:48:00.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/minions-and-monsters-eyes-an-80-million-july-4th-opening
tags: ["box office", "animation", "Illumination", "Universal", "Minions", "Supergirl"]
---
# 'Minions & Monsters' Eyes an $80 Million July 4th Opening

Universal and Illumination's latest trip into the Despicable Me universe is tracking for a roughly $80 million opening over the Fourth of July weekend — a projected hit that would give a wobbly summer box office a jolt, even as DC's 'Supergirl' braces for a steep second-weekend fall.

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](https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/minions-monsters-box-office-opening-weekend-estimate-supergirl-second-weekend-drop-1236799338/). 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](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/minions-and-monsters-review-1236633838/) 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.

## Sources

- ['Minions & Monsters' box office opening estimate; 'Supergirl' second-weekend drop](https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/minions-monsters-box-office-opening-weekend-estimate-supergirl-second-weekend-drop-1236799338/)
- ['Minions and Monsters' review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/minions-and-monsters-review-1236633838/)