It’s not a huge surprise that Minions & Monsters took the top spot at the box office for Fourth of July weekend, but the mischief-makers certainly didn’t set off the expected amount of fireworks. Toy Story 5’s $31 million in its third weekend on the 2026 movie calendar was a little too close for comfort to Minions & Monsters’ $36.4 million three-day domestic opening, so what happened?
I’ll get into some of the potential speedbumps the banana-loving yellow blobs had to overcome, but the Fourth of July falling on a Saturday might have been partially to blame. According to Rentrack (via Variety) this year’s overall ticket sales in North America topped out at around $121 million Friday and Saturday, when theaters usually take in between $150 million and $200 million over the Independence Day weekend.
Let’s break down what's going on, but first, please enjoy this offering of your Top 10 movies for the three-day weekend, per The Numbers. (* denotes a new release)
Weekend Box Office: July 3-5
TITLE | WEEKEND TOTAL | DOMESTIC TOTAL | LAST WEEK | THEATERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Minions & Monsters* | $36,400,000 | $61,441,000 | N/A | 4,243 |
2. Toy Story 5 | $31,000,000 | $366,348,690 | 1 | 3,975 |
3. Young Washington* | $20,847,688 | $20,847,688 | N/A | 2,700 |
4. Supergirl | $9,600,000 | $58,470,000 | 2 | 3,602 |
5. Disclosure Day | $6,000,000 | $105,312,000 | 5 | 2,702 |
6. Obsession | $5,300,000 | $245,318,000 | 3 | 2,640 |
7. Backrooms | $3,308,387 | $190,480,127 | 6 | 2,396 |
8. Jackass: Best and Last | $2,700,000 | $14,690,000 | 4 | 2,855 |
9. Scary Movie | $1,130,000 | $106,252,000 | 7 | 1,158 |
10. The Invite | $800,708 | $1,369,500 | 17 | 28 |
Minions & Monsters Boosted By International Numbers
It’s hard to be too concerned for the Despicable Me spinoff, which seems practically guaranteed to approach $1 billion — if not surpass it — by the end of its run. Minions & Monsters hit theaters on Wednesday, earning a five-day domestic total of $61.4 million, which was on the low end of projections. International numbers, however, exceeded the expected $90 million, bringing in $98.4 million for a combined opening weekend of $159.8 million.
With an estimated budget of $85 million, making back that cash isn’t a concern for Illumination and Universal Pictures, but it’s a bit worrisome that the seventh movie in the franchise has recorded the worst opening, despite many reviews calling it the best Despicable Me movie yet. Take a look at how this latest venture compares the rest of the franchise’s domestic debuts, according to Box Office Pro:
TITLE | 3-DAY TOTAL | 4/5-DAY TOTAL |
|---|---|---|
Despicable Me (2010) | $56.3 million | N/A |
Despicable Me 2 (2013) | $83.5 million | $143 million (Wed-Sun) |
Minions (2015) | $115.7 million | N/A |
Despicable Me 3 (2017) | $72.4 million | $99 million (Fri-Tues) |
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) | $107 million | $123 million (Fri-Mon) |
Despicable Me 4 (2024) | $75 million | $122.6 million (Wed-Sun) |
Minions & Monsters (2026) | $36.4 million | $61.4 million (Wed-Sun) |
So what happened? As I mentioned above, families may have had Saturday reserved for other things, with World Cup matches also throwing a wrench in some movie-going plans. However, Toy Story 5 is a formidable foe, clearly taking some of Minions & Monsters’ audience to earn nearly as much as the new release in its third weekend.
We also can’t overlook that this is the seventh movie in the Despicable Me series, and it’s possible that kids and/or their adult supervision have simply had their fill.
Young Washington Benefits From Its Fourth Of July Release
Moviegoers may be wanting fewer Minions in their lives, but Young Washington is seeing the exact opposite reaction. The under-the-radar George Washington biopic stars William Franklyn-Miller as the future OG POTUS, along with an impressive supporting cast of Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis and Ben Kingsley. Its $20.8 million opening beat out all other non-animated movies for No. 3 this week and scored the highest live-action debut for Angel Studios.
In fact, the historical war drama had the second-best opening of any Angel product, behind 2025’s animated David ($22 million). Young Washington focuses on George Washington’s command in the French and Indian War between 1753 and 1755, and due to its success, a sequel based around 1776 has already been ordered.
How Critics Rated This Week’s New Releases
Positive feedback can lead to good word-of-mouth advertising, which could drive new audiences to theaters in subsequent weeks, so how did things look on Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore?
RANK/TITLE | RT CRITICS | RT AUDIENCE | CINEMASCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Minions & Monsters | 91% | 75% | A- |
3. Young Washington | 59% | 92% | A |
Young Washington likely got a boost from its Fourth of July debut, but high scores from those patriotic ticket-buyers — who enjoyed the film much more than critics — might help it next week. As for Minions & Monsters, I feel pretty confident that those who were either busy for Fourth of July or taking in Toy Story 5 will make it out and help avoid a sophomore-weekend crash.
Supergirl Takes A Dive On Second Weekend
Speaking of sophomore dips, Supergirl fell a devastating 74% from weekend to weekend, earning just $9.6 million for a domestic total of $58.5 million 10 days after the DC Studios product’s disappointing opening. With an additional $48 million from international markets, it’s skirted into nine-digit territory with $100.4 million overall.
We’ve put some thought into what’s going on with all the Supergirl hate, and for those of us who have seen the movie, we don't think it deserves the viral lambasting it’s gotten. However, unless things take a drastic turn for the DCU’s second feature, which reportedly cost $170 million to make (not including marketing and promotion), Supergirl is projected to lose at least $100 million, Variety reports.
Obsession Crosses A Big Milestone As It Finally Falls From Top 5
Obsession had basically set up shop in the box office Top 3 since its May 15 release, but for the first time, it dropped this week — its eighth weekend — to No. 6. But let me be clear — that’s not a bad thing, and there’s actually a good reason. Obsession is now available to rent or buy digitally. Now people can experience Obsession’s horror (and comedy!) from the discomfort of their own homes.
Not everybody chose to do so, however, and its continued ticket sales at the theater were enough to push it past the $400 million mark worldwide, earning $245.3 million domestically and $157.8 million overseas for a combined $403.1 million.
The Invite Hits The Top 10 Ahead Of Wide Release
The buzz is building for The Invite, and despite only showing in 28 theaters this week, it’s already taken a place in the Top 10. With Olivia Wilde’s new comedy drawing Rotten Tomatoes scores in the 90th percentile (from both critics and audience), I can’t wait to see how far it can climb when it goes wide July 10. The movie stars Wilde along with Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz, and critics are calling it a “2026 highlight.”
What To Expect From Moana And Evil Dead Burn
The live-action remake of Moana is the big one to keep your eye on next weekend, with Box Office Theory projections looking at a three-day domestic premiere of $62 million (with $57 million and $72 million being the low and high ends).
The upcoming horror flick Evil Dead Burn, meanwhile, is expected to see around $28 million.
Be sure to grab your tickets to a movie this week, then meet me back here next Sunday to break down all the highlights.
