‘Despicable Me 4’ Launches with a Bang on July 4

Supervillain-turned-anti-villain-turned-crimefighter Gru and his gang of highlighter-yellow Minions took the July 4 holiday box office by storm with the latest installment of the Despicable Me franchise. Universal and Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 garnered $27 million on its opening day Wednesday and is predicted to rake in $120 million over its five-day holiday debut.

The newest Despicable Me features Steve Carrell returning to voice the beloved character, Gru. This movie marks the fourth installment of the franchise. In addition to the main series, the chaotic, charismatic (and lucrative) Minions have spawned two spin-offs. The combined Despicable Me/Minions series has become the top-grossing animated franchise of all time.

Seven years have passed since the last Despicable Me film, but the Minion mania remains unabated. The ticket sales align with expectations, suggesting that family movies are rebounding after the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact caused a dip in theater attendance.

The Minions are also in a box office battle, aiming to dethrone Pixar and Disney’s blockbuster film, Inside Out 2, which has already achieved $1 billion globally since its release four weekends ago.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Beast