Minions & Monsters Opens Below Expectations

The animated prequel "Minions & Monsters," set in 1920s Hollywood, led the North American box office over the July 4th weekend, grossing $61 million. This debut figure fell significantly below initial projections and represents the lowest opening for the "Despicable Me" franchise. The film earned $36 million from Friday to Sunday, with an additional $25 million from Monday holiday business, totaling $61 million across 4,243 locations.

Despite positive reviews, the film's performance suggests a potential waning of audience enthusiasm for the Minions characters. In contrast, "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," a superhero film, experienced a sharp decline in its second weekend, dropping 74% and earning an additional $12 million. This brings its 10-day domestic total to $55 million.

Other films in the top five included "Twisters," which added $10 million in its third weekend for a cumulative $120 million, and "Deadpool 3," which brought in $8 million in its fourth weekend, reaching a total of $250 million. "Inside Out 2" continued to perform strongly, earning $7 million in its sixth weekend and pushing its domestic gross to $580 million.

The overall box office for the July 4th weekend was down approximately 20% compared to the same period last year, indicating a broader trend of underperformance in the summer movie season. Analysts attribute this to a combination of factors, including a less robust slate of blockbuster releases and shifting audience viewing habits.