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.
| Rank | Title | Weekend Gross (millions) | Total Gross to date (millions) |
| 1 | Despicable Me 2 | $82.5 | $142.0 |
| 2 | The Lone Ranger | $29.4 | $48.9 |
| 3 | The Heat | $25.0 | $86.3 |
| 4 | Monsters University | $19.5 | $216.3 |
| 5 | World War Z | $18.2 | $158.7 |
| 6 | White House Down | $13.5 | $50.4 |
| 7 | Man Of Steel | $11.4 | $271.2 |
| 8 | Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain | $10.1 | $17.4 |
| 9 | This Is The End | $5.8 | $85.5 |
| 10 | Now You See Me | $2.7 | $110.4 |
As most had expected, Monsters University stayed atop the US box office, taking another $46 million for a very healthy total so far of $171 million. Now all eyes will be seeing whether the film can stay strong once Despicable Me 2 is released on Friday.
As expected Monsters University topped the US box office, taking a strong $82 million in its first three days. That’s marks Pixar’s 14th straight film to top the box office, and it’s their second highest debut ever, behind only Toy Story 3. The film is also likely to hold up well in the coming weeks, becoming yet another big hit for the studio.
Warner/DC executives must have been nervous in the last few weeks, as they’d spent over $225 million on Man Of Steel, with the hope it would kick off an entire DC universe. They’ll be breathing a sigh on release as the movie has taken $125 million in its first four days, which is a June record at the US box office.
