It could be the endearing qualities of the little yellow characters or the irresistible pull of being part of a TikTok trend, but whatever the reason for its success, Illumination will be more than happy with the performance ofMinions: The Rise of Gru, which passed the $400 million mark at the worldwide box office this weekend. While the fifth movie in theDespicable Mefranchise has seen the combined box office total for the series pass $4 billion, it has also proved Illumination to be one of the biggest names in animated feature films.
This point has been emphasized when considering that the movie has doubled the current box office of Disney’s much-hyped but lacklusterToy Storyspin-offLightyear, which flopped over the $200 million worldwide gross mark this weekend. While usually, any studio would feel inadequate going up against Disney, ifMinions: The Rise of Gruhad been released in direct competition withLightyear,it would have still come out firmly on top. The movie set a new record for the 4th July holiday weekend domestic box office, and has continued to pull in audiences over the last week to become the biggest animated hit of the year so far.
Minions: The Rise of Gru, along withTop Gun: Maverick, is one of the movies that were delayed the longest by the Covid pandemic, but are now reaping the rewards for the patience of both audiences and the studios behind them. While many movies ducked out of a cinematic release and went straight to streaming,Minions: The Rise of Gruwas one of those that the studio was adamant would be heading to cinemas when the moment was right.
Related:Minions: The Rise Of Gru Takes Despicable Me Franchise Past $4 Billion
Minions: The Rise of GruHas Been Hit by a TikTok Trend
AlthoughMinions: The Rise of Gruhas been a hit in its own right, it has received a boost from a viral TikTok trend that has seen large numbers of teens turning up to showings on the movie dressed in gray suits and applauding very loudly at the end of the film. However, this has also led to severalpeople being banned from certain screenings.
While most people have been happy to enjoy the movie before standing and applauding at the end, some had taken to being a bit more disruptive. This included groups shouting out throughout the movie, and some even taking bananas and other items of fruit into the cinema and throwing it at the screen.
Whatever the reason forMinions: The Rise of Gru’s success, against the likes ofLightyear, the movie has more than proven itself as a box office winner, and withDespicable Me 4heading to theaters in 2024, the story of Gru and his Minions has a lot more gas in the tank. When it comes to Illumination, they will soon be hoping that their newSuper Mario Bros.movie turns out to be just as much a hit and spawn its own multi-billion dollar franchise over the next few years.
