LOS ANGELES – Minions overran the box office over the weekend as audiences in the U.S. and Canada shelled out an estimated $115.2 million to see the evil-master-serving horde frolic on the big screen.
It was the second-biggest opening ever for an animated film and an easy win for the sidekicks who took the spotlight after playing supporting roles in two previous Despicable Me movies. The bright, babbling baldies have become key characters in the franchise from Universal’s Illumination Entertainment.
Directed by Peter Coffin, who co-directed both Despicable Me movies and voices the Minions, the movie easily beat Jurassic World, another Universal picture that grossed $18.1 million in its fifth weekend after release, according to box office tracker Rentrak.
Inside Out ranked third with $17.1 million in its fourth weekend.
Minions was a hit overseas as well, taking the No. 1 spot in 29 of the 30 other countries in which it debuted over the weekend, including Mexico, Russia, France and Venezuela. Internationally, the movie grossed $280.5 million.
Only Shrek The Third opened to a bigger gross in North America in 2007, with $121.6 million, according to Rentrak. Minions beat out Toy Story 3, which took in $110.3 million on its opening weekend in 2010.
Other movies debuting in the Top 10 this past weekend were The Gallows (No. 5 with $10 million), an ad-libbed high-school horror movie from the creator of the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises, and Self/less (No. 8 with $5.4 million), a sci-fi thriller about a near-death billionaire who transmits himself into a younger body.
Terminator Genisys was fourth on the weekend with an estimated $13.7 million and Magic Mike XXL added $9.6 million to rank No. 6. The rest of the Top 10 included Ted 2 ($5.6 million), Max ($3.4 million) and Spy ($3 million).
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