'Minions & Monsters' tops July 4 box office as 'Toy Story 5' stays strong, 'Supergirl' slides

Universal and Illumination's Minions & Monsters has stormed to the top of the North American box office over the Fourth of July holiday, while Toy Story 5 continued its impressive run and Supergirl suffered a steep second-weekend decline.

According to early Friday estimates, Minions & Monsters earned $16 million on Independence Day, putting it on course for a domestic opening of $70 million to $75 million across the traditional three-day weekend and around $100 million over the five-day holiday frame. The latest instalment in Illumination's blockbuster franchise is expected to comfortably claim the No. 1 spot.

Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 continues to perform strongly in its third weekend, adding an estimated $8 million on Friday. The animated sequel is projected to earn around $30 million over the three-day weekend, pushing its domestic total beyond $360 million and reinforcing its status as one of the year's biggest hits.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. and DC Studios' Supergirl continues to struggle at the box office. After debuting below expectations last weekend, the superhero film is expected to collect just $10 million in its second weekend, representing a decline of roughly 73% from its opening. The film is projected to have earned around $53 million domestically by the end of the holiday weekend.

The disappointing performance marks another setback for DC following Supergirl's underwhelming opening, despite hopes that the film would build on the momentum created by the studio's recent reboot efforts.

Elsewhere, Steven Spielberg's sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day continued to hold well in fourth place, while several smaller releases benefited from the extended holiday weekend as cinemas across the US experienced strong attendance.

With Minions & Monsters off to a strong start and Toy Story 5 maintaining excellent legs, animated films continue to dominate the summer box office, while Supergirl faces an increasingly difficult road to profitability after its disappointing start.