The animated movie “Despicable Me 4” has taken the box office by storm. It earned a whopping $75 million in its first three days. This impressive start beat out Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” which also opened this weekend. The victory of “Despicable Me 4” shows that audiences still love Gru and his Minions.
Universal Pictures released “Despicable Me 4” in over 4,000 theaters across North America. Families flocked to see the latest adventure of the reformed supervillain and his yellow helpers. The movie’s success wasn’t a surprise to industry experts. The “Despicable Me” franchise has been a consistent hit since 2010.
“Inside Out 2,” the sequel to Pixar’s 2015 hit, came in second place. It earned a respectable $50 million in its opening weekend. While this is a strong start, it couldn’t match the drawing power of the Minions. The gap between the two films’ earnings was wider than many expected.
Both movies aimed to capture the family audience as summer vacation begins. “Despicable Me 4” seems to have won this battle. Its humor and familiar characters appealed to both children and adults. The movie’s marketing campaign, featuring the lovable Minions, was also very effective.
The voice cast of “Despicable Me 4” includes returning stars Steve Carell as Gru and Kristen Wiig as Lucy. New voices joined the franchise too, adding fresh energy to the series. Critics gave the movie mixed reviews, but audiences seem to love it. It received an “A” CinemaScore from viewers on opening night.
“Inside Out 2” brought back Amy Poehler as the voice of Joy. The sequel introduces new emotions to the mind of its main character, Riley. While praised for its creativity, some felt it didn’t quite match the magic of the original. Still, its opening numbers are strong for an animated sequel.
The success of “Despicable Me 4” is good news for Universal Pictures. The studio has invested heavily in the franchise, including a theme park attraction. This big opening weekend suggests there’s still a lot of life left in the series. Talk of a fifth movie is already circulating in Hollywood.
The movie’s international performance was also strong. It earned an additional $100 million from overseas markets. This brings its global total to $175 million after just one weekend. These numbers put “Despicable Me 4” on track to be one of the year’s biggest hits.
The rest of the top five at the box office was filled by holdovers from previous weeks. An action movie came in third, a superhero film was fourth, and a romantic comedy rounded out the top five. None of these films came close to challenging the two animated newcomers.
Theater owners are happy with the strong performance of both animated films. After a slow start to the summer movie season, these releases have brought in much-needed crowds. Concession sales were reportedly very high, boosting overall revenue for cinemas.
Looking ahead, both “Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” are expected to have strong runs. With schools out for summer, families will be looking for entertainment options. These movies are likely to benefit from repeat viewings and word-of-mouth recommendations.
The success of these animated films also shows the enduring appeal of the genre. Despite the rise of streaming services, audiences still enjoy the experience of watching cartoons on the big screen. This is encouraging news for studios with animated projects in the pipeline.
As the summer movie season continues, “Despicable Me 4” has set a high bar for success. Its dominant opening weekend proves that familiar characters and family-friendly humor are still a winning formula at the box office. The Minions’ reign as animation kings seems far from over.
