Minion mania isn't slowing down any time soon, with Illumination Entertainment's Minions: The Rise of Gru continuing to perform well at the box office. The animated flick opened in Japan this past weekend to massively impressive numbers, propelling the global box office above $500 million. The film has also earned $270 million at the International box office. These totals have also allowed the Minions sequel to become the biggest animated release following the start of the pandemic.
The sequel's opening weekend in Japan is particularly important, earning a 254% increase from Friday to Saturday (largely due to storms in the country). With Monday being a national holiday, its current total of $4.6 million can only continue to grow. Word of mouth and positive reception are helping the film as well, with Gru and his friends resonating with families and young adults alike. Despite the weather and persistent cases of COVID-19, these numbers place Rise of Gru on par with the numbers in Japan for the original Minions and Despicable Me 3.
Rise of Gru has done well across the globe, debuting in the number one spot (ahead of Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder) in Estonia. Residents in Germany, Australia, and Mexico have continued to show out for the film, where its percentage drops in box office have stayed consistently small. Particularly, Rise of Gru has become Illumination's biggest hit in Australia. Additionally, the film has surpassed Sing 2 in several markets to become the biggest animated hit since the pandemic's onset.
In comparison to other Illumination releases, Rise of Gru is closing in on the worldwide totals of the studio's last two releases in Sing 2 and The Secret Life of Pets 2. Domestically, it has already surpassed both of those films, but will Rise of Gru reach the heights of its Despicable Me counterparts, especially with both Minions and Despicable Me 3 earning over $1 billion globally? Regardless of the answer, the studio has to be very pleased with these numbers.
These numbers undoubtedly owe a lot to the lack of family entertainment in the current theatrical market. Pixar's Lightyear was not as successful as hoped, with $207 million earned worldwide. Families are likely much more selective with their theater-going experiences, having adapted to their accessibility via streaming services like Disney+ and Peacock. Rise of Gru will soon be available on the latter service, with Universal bestowing a four-month window to its titles. In terms of further competition, Rise of Gru still has some breathing room with two weeks to go until Warner Bros. releases DC's League of Super-Pets.
Rise of Gru stars Steve Carrell as the titular character who aspires to become a super villain with the assistance of the Minions. Pierre Coffin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, and Alan Arkin co-star in the Kyle Balda directed feature.
Minions: The Rise of Gru is currently in theaters.
Check out the trailer below: