4th of July box office: Animated family flicks Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out set off fireworks during long weekend

Gru and his mischievously beloved gang of minions favourably earned an early jumpstart with a Wednesday theatrical opening in the US, kicking off the long 4th of July holiday weekend. Passing with flying colours amid patriotic fervour, the Illumination and Universal’s tentpole Despicable Me 4 raked in an opening day gross of $27 million as part of an estimated five-day holiday weekend domestic box office debut of $120 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

The animated action comedy fourthquel’s returns are reflecting the Despicable Me/Minions franchise’s top-grossing standards of all time. 

With a glorious ‘A’ CinemaScore, the Steve Carell-starrer is battling it out with Pixar and Disney’s record-breaking blockbuster Inside Out 2, Paramount’s A Quiet Place: Day One, Sony’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One. 

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Other movies wrestling for success on the US box office 

Despite their domestic box office tussle, both Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2 have welcomed staggering numbers back to the theatre with family adventures. 

The heartwarming animated Pixar flick posted the biggest domestic theatrical debut of 2024 so far, grossing over $154.2 million its opening weekend. Despite the staunch competition launched by its Illumination rival, Inside Out 2 is well on track to earning $46 million or more during the five-day holiday window. It’s also expected to surpass $500 million in North American, becoming the third animated film to achieve the milestone. 

Meanwhile, horror sci-fi prequel A Quiet Place: Day One, starring Joseph Quinn and Lupita Nyong’o, is also looking forward to a five-day box office collection of $31 million. 

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Elsewhere, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die is sitting at #4 and will likely end its five-day haul on Sunday hitting over $175 million in North America. 

Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One will expectedly close the top 5 rank, but has resumably failed to earn love from the audience. With its sombre box office numbers, the period Western follows a starkly contrasting path from the easy-going and endearing narratives picked by Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out. The film will likely close its second weekend with sombre numbers, barely touching the $22 million mark.