Minions and Monsters, the seventh installment in the Despicable Me franchise and third Minions spin-off, claimed the top spot at the North American box office over the extended July 4 holiday weekend. However, the animated sequel posted the weakest opening in the franchise's history, earning an estimated 64.5 million dollars over its five-day debut from approximately 4,000 theaters, with a three-day weekend total of 36.4 million dollars.
The result represents a significant decline compared to previous entries in the series. Despicable Me 4 earned 120 million dollars over the same July 4 holiday frame two years ago, while Minions: The Rise of Gru collected 122 million dollars during its five-day opening in 2022. Industry analysts point to several factors that contributed to the softer performance, including July 4 falling on a Saturday this year, which meant many Americans chose barbecues and fireworks celebrations over moviegoing as the nation marked its 250th birthday. The ongoing FIFA World Cup also drew attention away from theaters.
Despite its domestic shortfall, Minions and Monsters performed significantly better overseas, grossing approximately 98 million dollars across 71 international markets. The global cumulative total has reached nearly 160 million dollars, suggesting the franchise continues to resonate strongly with international audiences even as domestic interest wanes.
Pixar's Toy Story 5 continued its impressive theatrical run in its third weekend, pushing its worldwide total to an estimated 764 million dollars. The animated sequel, which opened to 160 million dollars domestically and 152 million dollars internationally in mid-June, has firmly established itself as the biggest film of 2026 so far. The film holds an A CinemaScore and continues to draw families back to multiplexes.
Angel Studios' Young Washington emerged as a notable surprise, earning an estimated 20.85 million dollars from just 2,700 screens over its opening frame. The historical epic, which depicts George Washington's early military career during the French and Indian War, exceeded projections by nearly 40 percent on Sunday. Directed by Jon Erwin and starring William Franklyn-Miller alongside Kelsey Grammer, Ben Kingsley, and Andy Serkis, the PG-13 film earned a 93 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and now holds the record for the largest opening by a historical war film in the 2020s.
The competitive landscape at the box office is set to intensify significantly in the coming weeks. Disney's live-action Moana remake, starring Dwayne Johnson and newcomer Catherine Laga'aia, arrives on July 10 to mark the franchise's tenth anniversary. The following week brings Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated epic The Odyssey from Universal. Both films are expected to deliver massive openings and could reshape the summer box office hierarchy.
Overall, the July 4 weekend delivered a mixed picture for Hollywood. While total grosses fell below the stellar numbers posted during the same frame in recent years, the diversity of successful titles across animation, historical drama, and holdovers suggests audiences remain willing to visit theaters when offered compelling content.
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