'Minions & Monsters' posts franchise's weakest opening as 'Supergirl' suffers steep box office fall

Universal and Illumination's Minions & Monsters may have claimed the top spot at the North American box office over the Fourth of July weekend, but the latest instalment in the blockbuster franchise has recorded the weakest opening in the series' history. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.' Supergirl endured a brutal second-weekend decline, adding to the film's disappointing theatrical run.

According to weekend estimates, Minions & Monsters is expected to earn around $64 million over the five-day holiday frame. While enough to secure first place, the figure falls well short of previous entries in the Despicable Me and Minions franchise, all of which opened to significantly higher totals. Industry analysts had initially projected a much stronger debut before forecasts were repeatedly lowered in the lead-up to release.

Despite the soft start, the animated adventure carries a production budget of approximately $85 million, considerably lower than many recent Hollywood blockbusters. Universal is hopeful the film will benefit from strong word of mouth and sustained family attendance throughout the summer holidays.

The weekend proved far more troubling for DC Studios' Supergirl. After opening below expectations, the superhero film is projected to plunge by around 73% in its second weekend, one of the steepest drops ever recorded for a major comic book adaptation. The film is expected to have earned just over $50 million domestically after ten days in cinemas, far below what would be needed to recoup its reported $170 million production budget.

Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 continued to demonstrate impressive staying power, holding second place with another strong weekend and pushing its domestic total past $360 million. The sequel remains one of the biggest box office successes of 2026 and continues to outperform most of the summer's major releases.

Although Minions & Monsters delivered the franchise's lowest debut, exhibitors remain optimistic that family audiences will keep cinemas busy through July. However, the disappointing performances of both Minions & Monsters relative to expectations and Supergirl underline the increasingly unpredictable nature of the summer box office, where even established franchises are no longer guaranteed blockbuster openings.