"Minions & Monsters" leads July 4 box office with franchise-low $45M

Universal's "Minions & Monsters" topped the domestic box office over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The animated sequel earned an estimated $45 million over the three-day frame, data from Comscore showed.

That marks the lowest opening in the franchise's 15-year history. The prior installment, 2022's "Minions: The Rise of Gru," opened to around $70 million. The 2015 original debuted above $85 million. The drop-off reflects a broader shift in audience habits, several industry analysts said.

"Toy Story 5" held second place with $32 million, a 28% decline from its prior weekend. Pixar's domestic total crossed $400 million. Warner Bros.' "Supergirl" slipped to third with $18 million, falling 45% in its third weekend. The superhero title has grossed $130 million domestically, below initial projections.

For Comcast, which owns Universal Pictures through its NBCUniversal unit, the soft debut adds pressure to a stock that has traded in a range this year. AlphaScala's proprietary model assigns CMCSA an Alpha Score of 56 out of 100, a Moderate rating reflecting mixed signals on momentum and valuation.

Industry analysts said the results deepen a pattern of selective moviegoing. Only event-level titles are generating outsized returns. Universal's summer slate includes "Twisters" and a new "Jurassic World" installment. The Minions sequel's muted reception raises questions about the studio's reliance on its animated IP pipeline.

The next test for the film division is the August horror release "The Trap" from Blumhouse. That low-budget title needs narrower margins to offset the soft quarter from animation. Universal's next major release, "Twisters," opens July 19.