Animated films dominated the global box office over the Fourth of July weekend, claiming the top two spots worldwide as Minions & Monsters debuted ahead of Toy Story 5‘s third weekend.
According to Comscore estimates, Universal and Illumination’s Minions & Monsters, directed by Pierre Coffin and distributed by Universal Pictures, opened with a worldwide weekend gross of $121.4 million. That included $36.4 million domestically and $85 million from 72 international markets. After its first five days in North America, the film has reached $61.4 million domestically and $159.9 million worldwide (it released a week earlier in several overseas markets).
The opening was enough to comfortably top the global chart, even as trade reports noted that it marked the smallest debut in the Despicable Me franchise. Still, Despicable Empire’s international appeal once again carried the film to a strong worldwide launch, and the film will surely make buckets before all is said and done.
Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, directed by Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris, ranked second worldwide with a $100.3 million weekend. The sequel earned $31 million domestically and $69.3 million internationally, pushing its cumulative grosses to $366.3 million in North America and $764.3 million worldwide.
Animated films dominating the global box office have thus far been the story of 2026, particularly in a summer crowded with major live-action releases. As audiences seem to be tiring of nostalgia-driven live-action fare, originals and animated sequels have been all the rage. Combined, Minions & Monsters and Toy Story 5 generated more than $221 million worldwide over the weekend, underscoring the continued strength of theatrical animation with global audiences.
