The summer box office is in full swing with another big title landing in theaters this weekend. Despicable Me 4 opened nationwide during the July 4th week with big box office aspirations. The latest animated film had some big competition, with Inside Out 2 still being a heavy competitor after recently crossing a billion dollars at the box office, and A Quiet Place: Day One still being a heavy hitter for adult audiences. However, Despicable Me 4 was still able to perform well, as the movie performed above what its predecessor, Minions: Rise of Gru did during its 2022 July 4th weekend.
On Wednesday, July 3rd, Despicable Me 4 did preview showings which racked in the dollars, predicting the film would open at number one this upcoming weekend. According to Deadline, the movie grossed $27 million after being released in 4,030 theaters. This was slightly below predictors, which had the movie grossing $28 million. This was despite early reviews of Despicable Me 4 being very poor, showing that loyal fans of the franchise are still showing up to see new installments.
On Thursday, July 4th, the film was slightly less successful than first day numbers, grossing $20 million on second day. Despite this being a slight drop from opening day, this was a 28% increase from what Minions: Rise of Gru did on the 4th of July, 2022. Minions: Rise of Gru ended up almost reaching the billion dollar mark throughout its run, so this could be a strong indicator of Despicable Me 4’s potential. If it continues at this pace throughout the weekend, the movie could have a $70 million 3-day opening and $120 million 5-day opening.
Even with its strong competitors, Despicable Me 4 will likely be the number one movie this week. Inside Out 2 posted $7.3 million on Wednesday, and $7.2 million on Thursday. This is still a strong turnout for the Pixar film, which is entering its third week at the box office and is expected to cross the half billion domestic box office goal soon. A Quiet Place: Day One will likely come in third place this weekend, as the horror film made $4.3 million on Wednesday and $4.7M on Thursday. This is still a success for the film, as it now has a $73.3 million gross in its first week, which is 9% higher than first week earnings of 2018’s original A Quiet Place.
These great box office performances across the board is a big win for moviegoing audiences. This year previously was being considered a disappointment for the box office, as totals were significantly down from 2023. Dune: Part Two was the year's number one performer for months, without much competition from hopefuls like The Fall Guy and Furiosa. However Inside Out 2 has since taken over, with subsequent releases also being strong. Hopefully Despicable Me 4’s great opening numbers will be a good indicator for other big summer blockbuster releases like Deadpool & Wolverine and Twisters.
You can see Despicable Me 4 now, as it is currently in theaters nationwide. Fans of the franchise can also check out previous films in the franchise now with a Peacock subscription. For more information on other films heading to the big screen later this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.
