Minions and Monsters, the third installment in Illumination’s spin-off from Despicable Me, has hit theaters, and it’s a troubling sign for the franchise.
Following the huge box office of Super Mario Galaxy last April, Illumination and Universal are back in theaters with another one of their flagship franchises: The Minions, a spin-off from the Despicable Me animated films.
For example, in 2024, Despicable Me 4 was the fourth-biggest global hit of the year at the worldwide box office, while Minions 2 was the fifth biggest blockbuster of 2022. Of the seven films to date in the saga, two have crossed the billion-dollar mark and three have surpassed $900 million.
However, the third installment devoted to the hyperactive yellow creatures, officially titled Minions and Monsters, is unlikely to continue on this momentum given its very disappointing North American start.
MINIONS’ LOWS
Minions 3, directed by Pierre Coffin, earned $61 million at home for its five-day launch, spanning July 1–5. When scaled to a standard three-day weekend, Friday through Sunday, the film grossed only $36 million. That figure isn’t negligible, especially with a production budget estimated at $85 million (per The Numbers). Unfortunately, this marks the weakest domestic debut for Illumination’s spin-off franchise by a wide margin.
The preceding film, Minions: The Rise of Gru, also opened on July 1, for the Independence Day weekend, and amassed over $123 million (including $107 million in three days). As for the first Minions, it kicked off its domestic run with $115 million.
On the Despicable Me side, the four installments have likewise shown a gap: $122 million in five days for Despicable Me 4; $99 million for Despicable Me 3; $143 million for Despicable Me 2; and $72 million for the 2010 original.
Minions 3 is therefore currently the least performing film of the entire saga. It is also slightly below The Secret Life of Pets 2 and Sing 2, two other box-office disappointments after the success of their respective first installments.
Even though it opened at the top of the weekly chart, it was closely followed by another fierce competitor: Toy Story 5, which hauled in an additional $31 million after its third weekend of release. Beyond Pixar, Disney’s live-action remake of Moana is expected to slow Minions 3 a bit more. Disney’s revival is due in theaters on July 10 in the United States, and July 8 in France.
