Universal and Illumination's animated comedy "Minions & Monsters" dominated the box office on Independence Day weekend, earning $16 million from nearly 4,200 theaters on Friday. The film follows the titular yellow characters as 1920s aspiring filmmakers searching for monsters to feature in a creature feature. Weekend projections place it at approximately $39.5 million domestically, with a projected total of around $64 million by the end of its initial North American run and $87 million from overseas markets.

The strong performance reflects the lasting commercial success of the Minions franchise, which established itself through previous releases like 2015's standalone film that reached $1.15 billion worldwide and 2022's "The Rise of Gru" which earned $940 million globally. This weekend's box office was dominated by family-friendly films, with "Toy Story 5" finishing second and the historical adventure "Young Washington" in third place. Meanwhile, the superhero film "Supergirl" saw its second-weekend earnings plummet 76 percent from its opening week, signalling more difficult prospects ahead.