The long Fourth of July weekend isn’t over, the three-day box office predictions are in, and Minions: The Rise of Gru really exceeded expectations this holiday weekend.
Three-day estimates have Minions: The Rise of Gru earning $108.5 million for a possible four-day gross of $127.9 million. This more than exceeded my $95 million four-day projections, as I really underestimated how much families and kids really love this franchise. So why did this work and Lightyear didn’t? Lightyear disappointed Toy Story fans, while Minions: The Rise of Gru plays on a familiar formula that doesn’t disappoint fans. Speaking of the fans, they really loved it and awarded the film a stellar “A” CinemaScore. This is a good sign for word of mouth down the line. We’ll update tomorrow with official predictions for four days, as Universal/Illumination are certainly popping champagne as we speak to celebrate their success.
In second place is Top Gun: Maverick, which is enjoying the benefits of the American holiday with a sixth weekend gross of $25.5 million in three days. That’s a slight 14% drop from last weekend, and it looks like its four-day weekend will reach $32.5 million. There isn’t much more to say about the film’s performance as it defied all expectations from its opening on Memorial Day weekend. To date, the film’s total revenue stands at $564 million. After earning $37 million from overseas markets, the blockbuster brings its global gross to $1.1 billion.
Elvis is holding up very well in third place with a three-day gross of $19 million, down 39% from last weekend. Four-day estimates have it at $24 million, and what’s impressive is that the older demographic is really driving the film to success. According to Deadline, women over 25 made up half of the audience, and the over-55 crowd showed up 33% this weekend. With a budget of $85 million, Elvis grossed $67.3 million at the domestic box office.
In fourth place is Jurassic World: Dominion with a three-day gross of $15.6 million, down 41% from the previous weekend. Four-day estimates call for $19.2 million as the film, which was panned by critics, managed to be a huge success financially. I guess moviegoers really like dinosaurs. The film also made its way past $800 million worldwide after adding $26.8 million from 72 foreign markets. Its global cume stood at $824.5 million, with $331.8 million coming from the domestic front.
Rounding out the top five is Black Phone with $12.3 million in revenue. Horror movies, even good ones, drop 55% or more in their second weekends, and this only managed to cut 48%. This is a big win as the film really connects with fans of the genre. Four-day estimates show Blumhouse’s latest effort pulling in $14.6 million as the film pushes its domestic total to $47.4 million.
What do YOU think of this weekend’s box office results?
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