Gru and his mischievous minions are hoping to fulfill their patriotic duty and once again set off major fireworks at the Fourth of July . Illumination and Universal’s , opening Wednesday in theaters across the U.S.
, looks to post an opening day gross of $28 million for a five-day holiday debut of $120 million, including $70 million for the three-day weekend, according to early returns. That’s in line with expectations and a strong start for the fourth outing in the main franchise, and the sixth in the / series, which combined ranks as the top-grossing animated franchise of all time. should have no trouble wresting the box office crown from and Disney blockbuster , which scored the top debut of the year when opening to $154 million in early June.
It has already cleared $1 billion in global ticket sales in record time, or 19 days. Even with the entry of , don’t expect to get run off the road by the Minions. Both films are good news for the animated family marketplace, which was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic but is now on the rebound.
The first opened over the July 9-11 weekend in 2010 to $56 million. The series then shifted its release earlier and became a Fourth of July staple. 2013’s likewise opened on July 3, a Wednesday, and posted a five-day debut of $143 million.
That was followed by $120 million five-day holiday start for the threequel in 2017. In the first e movie in seven years, Gru — the world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent v.