The domestic box office held steady over the Fourth of July weekend as Toy Story 5 climbed to roughly $764 million worldwide and Illumination’s Minions & Monsters opened in first place with $36.4 million across the holiday frame. The two family titles gave U.S. theater owners a busy holiday, even as one franchise posted its softest launch to date.
Key Takeaways
- Minions & Monsters opened at No. 1 with $36.4 million over the Fourth of July weekend and $61.4 million across its first five days, the lowest start in the Despicable Me franchise.
- Toy Story 5 reached about $366 million domestically and $764 million worldwide in its third weekend, moving toward the $1 billion mark.
- Minions & Monsters carries a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score and an A- CinemaScore, pointing to positive reception despite the modest debut.
- Summer grosses tracked 11.9% above the same point in 2025, though the July 4 weekend slipped against the prior year.
What Topped the July 4th Weekend Box Office?
Minions & Monsters led the domestic chart with a $36.4 million opening from 4,243 theaters, an average of $8,579 per location, according to comScore studio estimates. The Universal and Illumination release opened on Wednesday and gathered $61.4 million across its first five days, with a worldwide debut of about $160 million. Directed by series co-creator Pierre Coffin, the film is the seventh entry in the Despicable Me universe and functions as a prequel set in 1920s Hollywood, following the yellow henchmen as they chase film stardom before sound arrives. Universal and Illumination produced the film for a reported $85 million, below the roughly $100 million spent on prior entries.
Toy Story 5 landed second with an estimated $31 million in its third weekend, while Angel Studios’ Young Washington opened third with nearly $21 million, the strongest live-action launch in that distributor’s history and a fit for audiences seeking patriotic fare during the country’s 250th anniversary.
Why Did Minions & Monsters Post a Franchise Low?
Minions & Monsters entered the weekend targeting roughly $80 million over five days, and the result came in well under that projection. The debut trailed both 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru and 2024’s Despicable Me 4, each of which launched to about $123 million and $122 million over the comparable July stretch. Analysts tracked by Variety attributed the slower domestic turnout to franchise saturation, noting seven films across 16 years, an average of roughly one release every two years.
| Illumination July Release | Year | Holiday-Period Opening (Domestic) |
|---|---|---|
| Despicable Me 2 | 2013 | $143 million |
| Minions: The Rise of Gru | 2022 | $123 million |
| Despicable Me 4 | 2024 | $122 million |
| Minions & Monsters | 2026 | $61.4 million |
The domestic result contrasted with international performance, where Minions & Monsters earned about $86 million over the weekend and $98 million to date across 71 markets, led by China at $16.3 million, Germany at $6.4 million, and the United Kingdom and Ireland at $5.8 million. Overseas returns have historically driven the commercial strength of the property, and the strong start abroad, paired with a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score and an A- CinemaScore, suggests the film could hold in theaters through the summer.
How Close Is Toy Story 5 to $1 Billion?
Toy Story 5, directed by Andrew Stanton, has drawn about $366 million domestically and $764 million worldwide, keeping the Disney and Pixar release on a path toward the $1 billion threshold. The film added roughly $69.3 million from 50 international markets in its third frame while holding second place at home. Box office observers point to scarcity as a factor in the durability of Toy Story 5, since the series has produced only five installments across three decades, a slower cadence than the Despicable Me line. That pacing has helped sustain audience anticipation and repeat family attendance well past opening weekend.
What Does the Weekend Signal for the U.S. Exhibition Industry?
Theatrical demand remains a useful read on consumer discretionary spending, and the holiday weekend delivered mixed signals. Overall summer grosses ran 11.9% above the same point in 2025 while sitting about 7.25% behind 2019, and the year-to-date domestic box office climbed 13.2% above last year, according to Rentrak figures cited by trade outlets. The Fourth of July marketplace itself totaled roughly $123 million, down about 20% from the $155.6 million posted over the first July weekend of 2025, a decline shaped in part by the holiday landing on a Saturday. The combination of a franchise stumble and a steady Pixar performer left exhibitors with a full slate heading deeper into July.
The Fourth of July frame showed a domestic box office still drawing families in volume, even as one animated franchise tested the limits of frequent sequels and another leaned on scarcity to approach a billion-dollar milestone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Minions & Monsters make on opening weekend? Minions & Monsters earned $36.4 million over the Fourth of July weekend and $61.4 million across its first five days domestically. Its worldwide debut reached about $160 million.
Has Toy Story 5 reached $1 billion? Not yet. Toy Story 5 stood at roughly $764 million worldwide as of its third weekend, with about $366 million from the domestic market, keeping it on track toward the $1 billion mark.
Who directed Minions & Monsters? Pierre Coffin, a co-creator of the Despicable Me franchise, directed Minions & Monsters. The film is the seventh entry in the series.
Why did Minions & Monsters underperform in the United States? The film opened below its $80 million projection and below recent franchise entries. Analysts pointed to franchise saturation and holiday scheduling as contributing factors.
How did Minions & Monsters perform internationally? Minions & Monsters earned about $86 million overseas during the weekend and $98 million to date, with China, Germany, and the United Kingdom and Ireland among its leading markets.
What else opened over the July 4th weekend? Angel Studios’ Young Washington opened third with nearly $21 million, the strongest live-action opening in the studio’s history.
How does the 2026 summer box office compare to prior years? Summer grosses tracked 11.9% above 2025 and about 7.25% behind 2019, while the year-to-date total ran 13.2% ahead of last year.
