Despicable Me 4 is set to surpass $120 million following the extended 4th of July weekend.
Gru and his lovable minions took an early lead with a Wednesday release in the US, kickstarting the 4th of July festivities. Amidst the patriotic celebrations, Illumination and Universal’s major release, Despicable Me 4, achieved a remarkable opening day gross of $27 million, contributing to an estimated five-day holiday weekend domestic box office total of $120 million, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2 have emerged as the box office champions of the extended 4th of July weekend.
The fourth installment of the animated action-comedy series continues the Despicable Me/Minions franchise’s legacy as top earners. With a stellar ‘A’ CinemaScore, the film, featuring Steve Carell, is competing with Pixar and Disney’s blockbuster sequel Inside Out 2, Paramount’s A Quiet Place: Day One, Sony’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One.
Other contenders at the US box office: Despite the competition, both Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2 have brought impressive numbers to theaters with their family-friendly adventures.
The heartwarming Pixar sequel Inside Out 2 posted the biggest domestic opening weekend of 2024, grossing over $154.2 million. Despite strong competition from Illumination, Inside Out 2 is on track to earn over $46 million during the five-day holiday period and is expected to surpass $500 million in North America, becoming the third animated film to reach this milestone.
Meanwhile, the horror sci-fi prequel A Quiet Place: Day One, starring Joseph Quinn and Lupita Nyong’o, is projected to earn $31 million over the five-day period.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die ranks fourth and is anticipated to reach over $175 million in North America by the end of the five-day weekend.
Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One is expected to round out the top five but has struggled to win over audiences. The period Western’s box office performance contrasts sharply with the family-friendly successes of Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2, likely closing its second weekend with just around $22 million.