'Minions & Monsters' Falls Short of Expectations Over July 4th, 'Supergirl' Craters 74%

'Minions & Monsters,' a prequel to the 'Despicable Me' universe set in 1920s Hollywood, topped the box office over the July 4th long weekend, but the expected fireworks never materialized. Playing in 4,243 theaters across North America, the film made $36 million from Friday through Monday, and $61 million total since its Wednesday debut — well short of the $80 million target set for the weekend. That figure fell short even of the $56 million the original 'Despicable Me' made over a traditional weekend back in 2010, making it the franchise's lowest opening ever.

Box office analysts noted that while a general industry softening was expected given July 4th falling on a Saturday, the severity of this drop points to franchise fatigue. Seven 'Despicable Me' films have hit theaters in 16 years. For comparison: 'Toy Story' only produced five installments in 30 years. Notably, Pixar's 'Toy Story 5' added another $31 million in its third weekend, pushing its North American total to $366 million and its global gross to $764 million — proof that families haven't entirely abandoned theaters. David A. Gross, who writes the FranchiseRe newsletter, said, "Seven films is about as far as an animated franchise has ever gone. Audiences are showing signs of fatigue. The film will turn a profit, but this is a miss." Still, directed by Pierre Coffin and holding a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- CinemaScore, the film performed well internationally, adding $98 million abroad for a global total of $159.8 million.

Warner Bros. and DC's 'Supergirl,' meanwhile, suffered a brutal 74% drop in its second weekend, earning just $9.6 million. Following a weak $37.1 million opening, the film's North American total barely reached $58.5 million, with a global gross of just $100.5 million — putting it on track to lose at least $100-120 million against its $170 million budget. The numbers underscore the challenges the superhero genre faces, especially with lesser-known characters.

The week's other standout was Angel Studios's 'Young Washington,' which tells the story of George Washington's pre-Revolutionary years. Smartly timed for Independence Day, the film opened in third place with $20.8 million from 2,700 theaters. Meanwhile, Olivia Wilde's A24 comedy 'The Invite,' starring Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, opened in just 28 theaters, earning $800,000 as it builds toward strong reviews ahead of its wide release on July 10. Rentrak's Paul Dergarabedian said, "When July 4th falls on a Saturday, it can hurt the box office. Still, theaters have been on the rise since the start of the year, and this summer is on track to be the biggest since 2019."