“Despicable Me 4” has made a resounding entry into the summer blockbuster season, earning $122.6 million domestically and $229.5 million globally within its first five days of release. This latest installment from Comcast’s Universal and Illumination Entertainment marks a strong resurgence for animated films at the box office.
Strong Domestic and International Performance
The film, featuring supervillain Gru and his lovable minions, debuted just in time for the Independence Day holiday weekend, contributing to its robust box office numbers. It garnered $106.9 million from 73 international markets, demonstrating its broad appeal worldwide.
With a production cost of $100 million, “Despicable Me 4” is poised to generate substantial profits throughout its theatrical run, buoying expectations for Comcast (CMCSA) despite a slight dip in its share price during Monday-morning trading.
Industry Impact and Other Standouts
The success of “Despicable Me 4” comes amidst a competitive landscape where Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” continued to perform strongly, adding $30 million in its fourth weekend. The film surpassed “Minions” to become the fifth highest-grossing animated movie ever, with $533.8 million domestically and $1.2 billion globally.
Paramount’s “A Quiet Place: Day One” and Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” also contributed to the holiday weekend box office with $21 million and $6.5 million respectively. A24’s “MaXXXine” debuted with $6.7 million.
Optimism for the Summer Season
The box office success of “Despicable Me 4” and other standout films signals a promising resurgence for studios after a challenging start to the year. The performance of “Inside Out 2,” which achieved the milestone of being the first animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios or Pixar to surpass $480 million since 2019, underscores renewed audience enthusiasm for quality cinematic experiences.
As studios look ahead, the strong showing of these films provides optimism and momentum as the summer blockbuster season continues to unfold.
