Minions & Monsters Box Office Collection: Universal film tops North American BO with $16 million opening

'Minions & Monsters', the latest instalment in Universal Pictures and Illumination's enormously successful 'Despicable Me' franchise, secured the No. 1 position at the North American box office on Friday.

Minions & Monsters box office collection

The film has earned an estimated $16 million from 4,243 cinemas across the United States and Canada.

Industry estimates project the animated sequel will generate approximately $39.5 million over the traditional three-day weekend and around $64 million domestically by the end of the extended Independence Day holiday frame.

While the film's debut is sufficient to secure first place, the opening is a softer start than previous entries in one of Hollywood's most reliable animated franchises. Universal, however, is expected to offset the slower domestic performance with a stronger international showing, with 'Minions & Monsters' projected to earn around $87 million overseas by Sunday, bringing its early global total to well over $150 million.

However, the opening figures suggest that the franchise may be facing growing competitive pressures. ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’, released in 2022, opened to a record-breaking $123.1 million over the extended Fourth of July holiday weekend and ultimately grossed more than $940 million worldwide. Meanwhile, 2024's ‘Despicable Me 4’ debuted to approximately $122 million during its holiday opening period and concluded its theatrical run with nearly $987 million globally.

The original 2015 ‘Minions’ film remains the franchise's biggest commercial success, earning more than $1.15 billion worldwide, including over $823 million from international markets alone. The broader ‘Despicable Me’ franchise has now generated more than $5.6 billion globally, cementing its status as the most successful animated film series in box office history.

Internationally, ‘Minions & Monsters’ has shown encouraging signs despite its softer North American launch. The film has performed strongly across several overseas territories and has opened at No. 1 in major markets, including China, where early projections suggest an opening weekend of between $15 million and $18 million. Industry analysts expect family audiences and school holiday attendance to support the film's international run throughout the summer.

More about the film

Directed by Pierre Coffin and written by Coffin and Brian Lynch, 'Minions & Monsters' marks the third instalment in the "Minions" prequel series and the seventh film overall in the "Despicable Me" franchise. Produced by Illumination, the film features Coffin reprising his role as the Minions' voice alongside a cast that includes Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr.

Set in 1927, more than four decades before the events of 2015's 'Minions', the story follows the yellow henchmen as they attempt to create their own monster movie in the golden age of Hollywood filmmaking.

The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 21 June before opening in US cinemas on 1 July through Universal Pictures.