Summer Box Office Chaos: Minions & Monsters Fails, Supergirl Crashes, Toy Story 5 Soars

The latest animated installment, “Minions & Monsters,” has delivered a starkly contrasting box office performance, revealing a struggle domestically while soaring internationally. Over the Fourth of July weekend, the prequel, set in 1920s Hollywood, opened significantly below projections, pulling in just $36 million from Friday to Monday and $61 million over five days in North America. This marks a franchise-low debut, even falling short of the original “Despicable Me's” 2010 opening of $56 million.

Box office analysts attribute the softer domestic turnout partly to the Fourth of July holiday landing on a Saturday, which historically sees moviegoers opting for outdoor celebrations over theaters. Furthermore, many point to “Minions” fatigue, noting that the “Despicable Me” universe has produced seven films in 16 years, averaging a new adventure every two years. This rapid release schedule is seen as a potential cause for oversaturation, diminishing the excitement for new entries.

Despite its domestic challenges, “Minions & Monsters” proved to be a significant international hit. The film garnered $85 million from 71 markets over its opening weekend, contributing to a global total of $159 million to date ($159.8 million by some estimates). Top international territories included China ($16.3 million), Germany ($6.4 million), and the United Kingdom and Ireland ($5.8 million). This strong overseas appeal highlights a recurring trend for the “Despicable Me” franchise, where international sales often account for a substantial portion of overall returns, such as 71% for the first “Minions” spinoff and 60% for “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” Produced by Universal and Illumination with a relatively modest budget of $85 million—less than previous entries—and receiving positive reviews from critics and audiences, “Minions & Monsters” is still expected to be profitable despite its domestic misfire.

In contrast, Disney and Pixar's “Toy Story 5” demonstrated the benefits of scarcity, having released only five films over three decades. The latest installment continued its impressive run, adding $69.3 million from 50 international markets in its third weekend. It opened strongly in Japan with $14.6 million, marking the highest opening in the country for a Hollywood release. Globally, “Toy Story 5” has amassed $764 million ($398 million overseas and $366 million in North America) and is on track to surpass “Toy Story 4’s” $1.07 billion to become the highest-grossing film in the series.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. and DC's “Supergirl” faced a grim box office reality, experiencing a tragic 74% decline in its second weekend, earning just $9.6 million from 3,602 screens. With a domestic total of $58.5 million and $100.5 million worldwide to date, the film is shaping up to be a major financial loss. Produced for $170 million, “Supergirl” is projected to lose at least $100 million to $120 million in its theatrical run, underscoring the challenges faced by superhero movies featuring lesser-known protagonists, in stark contrast to the anticipated successes of films centered on A-list heroes like “Superman” or “Spider-Man.”

Amidst these varied performances, the patriotic historical drama “Young Washington,” backed by faith-based Angel Studios, achieved an impressive third-place debut with $20.8 million from 2,700 theaters. Its release was strategically timed to Independence Day, resonating with its target demographic, earning an “A” grade on CinemaScore despite mixed critical reviews. Additionally, A24’s critically acclaimed comedy “The Invite,” directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Wilde and Seth Rogen, cracked the top 10 with $800,700 from just 28 screens, bringing its limited release total to $1.36 million ahead of its nationwide expansion. Paramount’s “Jackass: Best and Last” dropped to eighth place, with a paltry $14.6 million domestically and $20 million worldwide, though its low $10 million budget means it may still avoid significant losses.

Overall, while Hollywood is enjoying its best summer since the COVID-19 pandemic, this particular weekend presented a setback for the industry's recovery metrics. The summer box office is currently 11.9% above the previous year but 7.25% behind 2019, with the year-to-date figures up 13.2% from last year but 16% behind 2019. Despite the impact of the July 4th weekend, theaters have been on a strong trajectory since the beginning of the year, with the summer movie season still poised to potentially surpass the $4 billion mark for only the second time in post-pandemic years, a milestone previously achieved in 2023 with the success of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” Upcoming films like Disney’s live-action “Moana,” Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” are expected to contribute significantly to reaching this coveted target.