Despicable Me 2 Massively Beats The Lone Ranger At The US Box Office

With Independence Day on a Thursday, Hollywood was hoping for a busy four-day holiday weekend, and they got one, even if it was a far better time for Universal than Disney.

Despicable Me 2 grossed a massive $142 million since it opened last Wednesday, marking one of the best starts ever for an animated movie. It’s particularly impressive for a non Pixar or DreamWorks Animation (or indeed Ice Age) movie, and far more than the $56 million the first film took in its first three days in 2010.

However while Universal will be all smiles today, there are likely to be a lot more frowns over at Disney. After spending $250 million on The Lone Ranger, the film grossed just $48.9 million in its first five days. That may not sound too horrific, but on the actual weekend it took just $29.4 million. Analysts are already suggesting it may struggle to hit $100 million in the US, and would therefore need a gargantuan overseas haul to make back its money. Some feel Disney could lose as much as $150 million on the film, once marketing and other costs are taken into account.

The only other new entry in the top 10 was the stand-up comedy film Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain. It’s yet another case of Hollywood not understanding the African-American audience and then being surprised by a film aimed at them becoming a success. The film took $17.4 million over the holiday, which already makes it the fifth highest grossing stand-up film ever in the US.

Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of July 5th-7th.