Illumination and Universal’s “Despicable Me 4,” featuring the return of Gru and his mischievous minions, hit theaters on Wednesday, aiming to make a big splash over the extended July 4 holiday weekend. The film posted an impressive opening day gross of $27 million, setting the stage for a projected five-day debut of $120 million at the domestic box office, including $70 million for the three-day weekend. This strong start aligns with expectations for the fourth installment in the main franchise and the sixth in the Despicable Me/Minions series, which remains the top-grossing animated franchise of all time. The film earned a glowing A CinemaScore, ensuring it will easily claim the box office crown from Pixar and Disney’s blockbuster “Inside Out 2.”
Despite the entry of “Despicable Me 4,” “Inside Out 2” remains resilient. The Pixar film, which has already surpassed $1 billion in global ticket sales, looks to earn over $46 million during the five-day holiday frame. It is poised to become only the third animated film to cross $500 million in North America, not adjusted for inflation, joining the ranks of Disney’s “The Lion King” and “Finding Dory.”
The “Despicable Me” franchise has a history of successful July 4 openings. The first film debuted over the July 9-11 weekend in 2010, earning $56 million. The sequels have also performed well, with “Despicable Me 2” opening to $143 million over five days in 2013, and “Despicable Me 3” earning $120 million over five days in 2017.
In “Despicable Me 4,” Steve Carell reprises his role as Gru, the supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League agent. The film introduces new characters, including Gru Jr., Gru’s son who torments his father, and a new nemesis voiced by Will Ferrell, along with his femme-fatale girlfriend, played by Sofía Vergara. The cast also includes Joey King, Stephen Colbert, and Chloe Fineman, with Pierre Coffin returning as the iconic voice of the Minions.
Directed by Chris Renaud, co-creator of the Minions, from a script by Mike White and Ken Daurio, “Despicable Me 4” is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and Brett Hoffman. The film’s strong performance reaffirms the enduring popularity of the franchise and the recovering strength of the animated family marketplace, which was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elsewhere, Paramount’s “A Quiet Place: Day One” is expected to earn $31 million over the five-day period, bringing its 10-day domestic total to $96 million. Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is holding steady at No. 4, projected to surpass $175 million in North American ticket sales by Sunday. However, Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter One” continues to struggle, with a domestic total of just over $22 million expected after the holiday weekend.
