The 4th of July holiday in the United States brought mixed results for the film industry, with two big-budget releases performing below expectations at the box office, although with setbacks of very different natures.
Among releases, “Minions & Monsters” reached $61 million over the five-day long weekend. This amount represents the lowest debut collection of the entire “Despicable Me” saga and half of what “Minions 2: The Origin of Gru” earned in 2022, which reached US$123 million in the same celebration period.
Universal and Illumination’s performance is particularly intriguing. The film, which proposes a reinterpretation of the franchise and a tribute to the cinematic universe, set during the transition from silent to talkies in Hollywood, received the most positive reviews from specialized critics across the entire series. However, the public’s response was less enthusiastic compared to other titles in the same animated saga: CinemaScore recorded an A- rating (while the previous films received an A), Rotten Tomatoes had a 76% approval rating (compared to 89% for “The Origin of Gru”) and the definitive recommendation on PostTrak was 58% (lower than the 71% for the previous film).
The bet on a science fiction narrative with monsters, set in classic Hollywood, may have been an excessively bold move for a franchise that traditionally relies on themes of espionage, action and popular soundtracks. Despite some critics’ perception of an evolution in the narrative on the part of Illumination, this change may have alienated part of the traditional fan base.
There is a discussion about the possible exhaustion of the franchise due to overexposure. With seven “Despicable Me” or “Minions” films released in just 16 years, the series contrasts with the “Toy Story” model, which distributed five films over 30 years. The strategy of spacing out releases, as Pixar did, allows nostalgia to accumulate and the public to create greater expectations, while the excessive frequency of titles can lead to fatigue and reduce long-term appeal, a crucial factor for the sustainability of great intellectual properties in cinema.
Despite its modest beginnings, “Minions & Monsters” is still on track to be a profitable venture for Universal. With a budget of US$85 million before marketing expenses and international revenue of almost US$100 million upon release, the film has already grossed an estimated US$160 million globally as of last Sunday. Additionally, this year’s Fourth of July had a unique impact on movie theater attendance, as millions of Americans chose to celebrate the historic 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence through outdoor activities. Universal, experienced in window management, plans to maximize profit with later releases on PVOD, Peacock and, ultimately, Netflix, where the film could become one of the most watched of the year.
Even with the studio’s confidence in the overall performance of “Minions & Monsters,” the result underscores a growing need for major animation studios: the urgency to develop new intellectual properties. While Pixar celebrated success with “Hoppers” this year and Illumination prepares “Not Alone”, the wear and tear of the most established franchises makes it essential to create new original hits. That may be the main takeaway from “Minions & Monsters'” opening weekend.
In contrast, the weekend’s other big box office flop, “Supergirl,” presents a more worrying scenario. After an underwhelming $37.1 million opening the previous weekend, accompanied by negative reviews, the film plummeted 74% in its second weekend, grossing just $9.6 million. This performance is even more critical than that of other disappointing superhero releases, such as Sony and Marvel’s “Morbius” in 2022 and DC’s “The Flash” in 2023.
“Supergirl” projects its worldwide box office closing below the US$169 million of “Wonder Woman 1984”, which opened in theaters at the end of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This result is particularly disheartening given that the film is only the second in DC Films’ ambitious renewal strategy, led by James Gunn and Peter Safran.
