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‘Despicable Me 4’ to Spark Major July 4th Fireworks with $120M Debut
Gru and his mischievous minions are hoping to fulfill their patriotic duty and set off major fireworks at the Fourth of July box office.
Illumination and Universal’s Despicable Me 4, releasing Wednesday in theaters across the U.S., looks set to post an opening day gross of $28 million. Predictions estimate a five-day holiday debut of $120 million, including $70 million for the three-day weekend, according to early returns. This aligns with expectations and marks a strong start for the fourth installment in the main franchise, and the sixth in the Despicable Me/Minions series. This franchise ranks as the top-grossing animated franchise of all time.
DM4 should have no trouble capturing the box office crown from Pixar and Disney’s Inside Out 2, which had the top debut of 2023 with $154 million in early June. Inside Out 2 has already achieved $1 billion in global ticket sales in just 19 days.
Even with the entry of DM4, don’t expect Inside Out 2 to lose its stride. Both films are good news for the animated family movie market, which suffered greatly due to the COVID-19 pandemic but is now recovering.
The first Despicable Me opened over the July 9-11 weekend in 2010 to $56 million. The series has since become a Fourth of July staple. 2013’s Despicable Me 2 opened on July 3, a Wednesday, and posted a five-day debut of $143 million. The third installment opened to similar success in 2017.
In the first Despicable Me movie in seven years, Gru—voiced by Steve Carell—ushers in a new era of Minion mayhem. Gru, along with Lucy (Kristen Wigg), their daughters (Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Madison Pola), and their new son Gru Jr., faces new challenges as Gru Jr. is intent on tormenting his dad.
Gru and his family are forced to go on the run after facing off with a new nemesis voiced by Will Ferrell and his femme-fatale girlfriend, played by Sofía Vergara. Additional new characters are voiced by Joey King, Stephen Colbert, and Chloe Fineman. Pierre Coffin returns as the iconic voice of the Minions, and Steve Coogan as Silas Ramsbottom.
Chris Renaud, co-creator of the Minions, directed the film from a script by Mike White (White Lotus) and Despicable Me veteran Ken Daurio. Patrick Delage co-directed, while Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri produced alongside Brett Hoffman.
Source: various reputable sources
