Minions & Monsters box office: Movie sets unwanted record as it makes $36.4M debut in North America; beats Toy Story 5 for top spot

Universal's Minions franchise has remained one of the biggest names in animated cinema for years, with the mischievous yellow characters drawing audiences across generations. The latest installment has once again brought the franchise to the top of the box office, but not without raising a few questions. Minions & Monsters claimed the No. 1 spot in North America during the Independence Day weekend, overtaking Toy Story 5, even as it delivered the weakest opening weekend in the history of the Despicable Me/Minions series.

According to industry estimates reported by AFP, Exhibitor Relations, and The Associated Press (AP), the Universal release earned $36.4 million in North America between Friday and Sunday. The film had opened on Wednesday and collected $61.4 million over its first five days. Internationally, it added another $98 million, taking its worldwide debut to $160 million.

Franchise tops the charts but falls short of past openings

Despite finishing first at the domestic box office, Minions & Monsters posted the lowest three-day opening of any film in the Despicable Me/Minions franchise. It also became the first Minions movie not to cross the $100 million mark domestically during its opening period, showing that while audience interest remains strong, the series may be slowing compared to its earlier highs.


Directed by Pierre Coffin, the film is set in 1927, more than four decades before the events of the first Minions movie. The story follows the Minions as they head to Hollywood with dreams of making their own monster movie, blending the franchise's trademark chaos with a setting inspired by the early days of filmmaking.

The film has received mixed reactions from audiences, though critics have responded more positively. It holds a 91% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus says, "The Minions bring their penchant for mayhem to Hollywood history in this affectionate and charming sendup of moviemaking magic, turning out the franchise's most roundly enjoyable entry yet." Its audience score stands at 76% on the Popcornmeter.

Toy Story 5 settles for second place

After leading the North American box office for the past two weekends, Toy Story 5 dropped to second place with an estimated $31 million. The Disney-Pixar sequel had opened with $160 million, making it the biggest domestic opening of the year.

The latest film reunites Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the beloved toys as they struggle to stay relevant in a world where children are increasingly drawn to screen-based technology instead of traditional toys.

Meanwhile, Supergirl slipped to fourth place with $9.6 million, marking a sharp drop in its second weekend. Disclosure Day, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor, rounded out the top five with $6 million, lifting its domestic total to $105 million.

According to AP, the overall holiday weekend box office was down around 24% compared with the same period last year. However, the 2026 summer box office remains nearly 12% ahead of 2025, helped by recent performers such as Obsession and Backrooms, which continued to feature among the weekend's top-grossing films.