It’s safe to say minions are here to stay. The Despicable Me franchise is fast becoming one of the most popular movie franchises in history, as it is now officially the first animated franchise to cross the $5 billion mark in the international box office.
This jaw-dropping figure was reached following Despicable Me 4 generating more than $230 million at the global box office over the July 4th holiday. The film initially played in select international markets earlier this month in France, Germany, the UK, and China. Later this year it will debut in Italy, Korea, and Japan. With the movie still yet to be released in major markets, the figure will undoubtedly balloon to an even higher amount. Overall, 26 international box offices reported the biggest-ever opening weekend for the franchise. These occurred in Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and Spain. With this, the Despicable Me franchise is now the 10th highest-grossing franchise of all time, ahead of the likes of Hunger Games and Transformers.
Universal Studios is keen to keep the Gru-avy train rolling. Last week, it was revealed by Universal a date for a new addition to the franchise, Minions 3, is set for release in June 2027.
Despicable Me 4 is up against Disney and Pixar’s massively successful Inside Out 2, which achieved a record of its own by becoming the fastest animated film in history to reach $1 billion in the global box office.
The revival of ticket sales is a welcome one. At the beginning of 2024, the Box Office was notably struggling to attract audiences to the theater, with Memorial Day weekend in particular being the worst money-maker in nearly two decades. However, these two animated powerhouse films have changed everything. Notably, it has attracted a demographic to the theater that was thought to be extinct: families and teenagers.
The latest installment of the beloved animated franchise sees the return of the lovable Steve Carell as Gru, who is against Maxime Le Mal, a new antagonist that Will Ferrell voices.
Despicable Me 4 is out in theaters now.
