Gru returned to the big screen with an origin story in the long-awaited Minions: The Rise of Gru. The animated spinoff sequel made an impressive debut with a record-setting box office haul over the July 4th holiday weekend.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Rise of Gru earned a whopping $127.9 million domestically and is headed for a worldwide opening total of over $200 million. The film has had one of the biggest stars for an animated blockbuster, domestically. Its projected success also marks a return to form for animated releases in the pandemic era, which have thus far suffered heavily at the box office. It was originally estimated the Minions sequel would earn between $70 million to $80 million over the July 4th weekend.
Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the biggest animated release was that of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which grossed $72 million upon opening. But when it comes to July 4th weekends, specifically, The Rise of Gru has overtaken major titles such as Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which earned $115.9 million over a four-day weekend; Spider-Man 2, with $115.8 million; and even Despicable Me 3, which earned $99 million.
On top of Steve Carrell, who returns as Despicable Me's villain with a heart of gold, and Pierre Coffin as the voice of the titular minions, Minions: The Rise of Gru features a star-studded cast including the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Taraji P. Henson, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, RZA, Danny Trejo, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Alan Arkin.
The Universal and Illumination film is up against more than a couple of cinematic heavy-hitters, including Top Gun: Maverick, which is declining in its weekly take, but continues to earn big; Elvis, which took the number one spot upon opening; and Jurassic World Dominion, though the trilogy conclusion is sinking rapidly in weekly earnings.
The Rise of Gru was delayed early on in the pandemic. It was originally scheduled to hit theaters on July 3, 2020, before Universal announced a delay in March that year, as Illumination Animation's studios in France were forced to shut down, leaving the film unfinished. However, over the course of widespread lockdown periods, the project shifted to remote production.
Universal Pictures and Illuminations' Minions: The Rise of Gru is playing in theaters now.
Source: THR