As the summer heats up, Hollywood's box office finds its spark with blockbuster family favorites 'Despicable Me 4' and 'Inside Out 2', igniting a much-needed revival after a cold start to the year.
- July 8, 2024
AceShowbiz - After a historically bad first half of the year, the box office is seeing a resurgence. Universal's "Despicable Me 4" led the way over the long weekend with an opening of $75 million from Friday through Sunday, and $122.6 million since its Wednesday debut. The animated sequel continues the reign of the Minions, who consistently generate over $1 billion at the global box office.
Despite overall ticket sales remaining below pre-pandemic levels, theaters have witnessed a string of hits recently. Pixar's "Inside Out 2" followed "Despicable Me 4" success, grossing $30 million domestically and exceeding $500 million globally. It remains the year's biggest hit and ranks among the highest-grossing animated releases ever.
Paramount's "A Quiet Place: Day One" also performed strongly, earning $21 million in its second weekend. Heading into the summer movie season, analysts are projecting a $3.4 billion box office, up from earlier estimates of $3 billion.
The weekend's other strong performer was A24's "MaXXXine", starring Mia Goth. Despite an R-rating, it collected $6.7 million from 2,450 theaters.
Sony's "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" and Kevin Costner's "Horizon: An American Saga" struggled to find an audience. "Bad Boys 4" earned $6.5 million, while "Horizon" dropped 50% to $5.5 million in its second weekend.
The July 4th weekend's success is attributed to a combination of strong family-friendly options and the release of several anticipated sequels. With anticipated blockbusters like "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "Twisters" on the horizon, the box office outlook remains positive.
Top 10 of North American Box Office (Jul. 05-07, 2024):
- "Despicable Me 4" - $75 million
- "Inside Out 2" - $30 million
- "A Quiet Place: Day One" - $21 million
- "MaXXXine" - $6.7 million
- "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" - $6.6 million
- "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1" - $5.5 million
- "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot" - $3.2 million
- "Kalki 2898 AD" - $1.8 million
- "The Bikeriders" - $1.3 million
- "Kinds of Kindness" - $860,000
