Family audiences are coming to the rescue at the summer box office, aftera worrisome starta few weeks ago. While films likeBad Boys: Ride or DieandA Quiet Place: Day Onehave pulled adult crowds to theaters with great success, it wasInside Out 2that ignited the box office three weeks ago. And now, another animated sequel —Despicable Me 4— is building on the momentum. The latest installment in the blockbuster franchisedelivered a massive global debut, after being launched this weekend in over 50 new territories following a limited international roll-out a couple of weeks ago.
Despicable Me 4debuted midweek in North America, where it exceeded expectations with a$122 million extended five-day debut. The movie made $73 million from overseas markets this weekend, with the bulk of the revenue coming from Mexico ($12 million) and Brazil ($6 million).Despicable Me 4has grossed $107 million from overseas territories so far, fora cumulative global haul of just under $230 million. By comparison,Inside Out 2grossedjust under $300 million worldwide in its first weekendand has since generated over $1.2 billion worldwide. Geared at a much younger audience,theDespicable Mefranchiseis no slouch itself. Having debuted in 2010, the four main movies and two spin-offs have generatedover $4.8 billion in global box office revenue.
Despicable Me Movies
Global Box Office
Despicable Me
$544 million
Despicable Me 2
$975 million
$1.1 billion
Despicable Me 3
$1 billion
Minions: The Rise of Gru
$939 million
Despicable Me 4
$230 million (and counting)
The ‘Despicable Me’ Franchise Has Branched Off Into Several Mediums
UnlikeInside Out 2, which reportedly cost $200 million to produce,Despicable Me 4’s reported budget is in line with Illumination standards. Like last year’s mammoth hitThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed $1.3 billion worldwide,Despicable Me 4alsoreportedly cost around $100 million to produce. This appears to be the upper limit for the franchise; the first film cost less than $70 million and grossed nearly $550 million worldwide, while the spin-off filmMinionscost a little over $70 million but ended up grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide in 2015.
The series follows the misadventures of the lapsed super-villain Gru, who is aided in his ridiculous escapades by the fan-favorite little yellow creatures known as the “minions.” While the Despicable Me franchise hasnever really been a critical darling, thenew movie happens to be the lowest-rated of the loton the review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, where it holds a 54% score. But it’s the audience response that really counts on these films, and in that department, the movie is doing exceptionally well. It hasa 90% audience score, in addition to an A CinemaScore that it earned from opening day crowds.
Despicable Me 4features the returningSteve Carellas the voice of Gru, alongsideKristen Wiig,Joey King,Miranda Cosgrove,Sofia Vergara, andWill Ferrellas the villain. Directed by franchise mainstayChris Renaud,Despicable Me 4is playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Gru and his family are back, welcoming a new member, Gru Jr., who causes chaos at home. Facing a new nemesis, Maxime Le Mal, and his partner Valentina, Gru and his family go on the run.
