Animation continues to dominate the summer box office with Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2 leading the charge. However, Neon’s Longlegs has made an impressive debut, becoming the biggest opening for an independent horror film in a decade with $22.6 million in ticket sales.
From Illumination and Universal, Despicable Me 4 remained at the top of the domestic box office in its second weekend, earning $44.7 million from 4,449 theaters. The film has surpassed the $200 million mark domestically, with a total of $211.1 million by Sunday. Internationally, the film has generated $88 million from 78 markets, bringing its global total to $437.8 million.
In a significant milestone, the Despicable Me/Minions franchise has surpassed $5 billion in global ticket sales, making it the first animated franchise to achieve this feat. Illumination has also announced that Minions 3 is in development.
Longlegs Breaks Records
The biggest surprise of the weekend was the performance of Longlegs, directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage. The film, which played in 2,510 cinemas, is the highest opening ever for Neon, the indie production and distribution company behind Parasite. Longlegs earned $10 million on Friday alone and wasn’t hindered by its C+ CinemaScore, a common grade for horror films. Notably, over 70 percent of ticket buyers were between ages 18 and 34.
Cast:
- Maika Monroe
- Nicolas Cage
Director:
- Osgood Perkins
Inside Out 2 Continues Strong Performance
Inside Out 2, which is on track to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time, has already amassed a global total of $1.35 billion. The film finished third in its fifth weekend in North America with $20.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $572.6 million. Overseas, it added another $50.2 million, bringing its international total to $777.5 million. The film has yet to debut in Japan, where it is expected to perform well.
Other Box Office Highlights
- A Quiet Place: Day One: Paramount’s prequel continues to draw audiences, earning $11.8 million this weekend and bringing its domestic total to $116.2 million.
- Fly Me to the Moon: Apple Original Films’ romantic comedy, directed by Greg Berlanti and starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, opened to $10 million. The film’s audience was primarily older adults, with over half of ticket buyers aged 45 or older.
Specialty Box Office
At the specialty box office, A24’s Sing Sing, directed by Greg Kwedar, is on track to achieve a strong per-theater average of $34,280 from four theaters in Los Angeles and New York. The film explores an arts program at the infamous Sing Sing prison.
Closing Credits
The box office landscape continues to be shaped by a mix of major franchise successes and standout performances from independent films. Despicable Me 4’s dominance and Longlegs’ impressive debut highlight the diverse interests of moviegoers, while Inside Out 2 and other releases maintain strong momentum. With various genres and target audiences represented, the summer box office is catering to a wide range of preferences.
