# "Despicable Me: Minions & Monsters" leads before summer's wave hits > Introduction: a Wednesday that has all of French cinema smiling - Author: Maxime Marquette - Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co) - Section: Analysis - Published: 2026-07-04 - Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/des-minions-et-des-monstres-domine-avant-le-raz-de-maree-de-lete ## Introduction: a Wednesday that has all of French cinema smiling ### A pleasantly surprising opening **"Minions & Monsters"**, the new animated installment from **Universal Pictures** directed by **Pierre Coffin**, took the top spot at the **French box office** as soon as it opened on **Wednesday, June 24, 2026**. The film drew **173,392 admissions** on its opening day, a figure confirming the lasting strength of the franchise carried by the most famous yellow characters in world cinema. This total represents the **4th-best opening of the year** according to **Satellifacts**, and the **2nd-best launch for an animated film** in **France** in 2026, a result that immediately places the film among the **most profitable releases** of the young summer season. ### A very favorable full week Over the full week of **June 24 to July 1, 2026**, the film held its dominant position at the top of the weekly **French box office** rankings, confirming that opening-day enthusiasm didn't fade in the following days. **Le Film Français**, a reference source for this data, notes that it was the **best opening of the week**, across all releases. This performance comes as **overall theater attendance** was already sharply up, driven by a combination of **circumstantial factors** that benefited the entire **French film industry** during this pivotal late-June period. *I have to admit something: I expected the Minions franchise to be running out of steam after so many installments. Seeing 173,392 people show up on an ordinary Wednesday reminds me that family entertainment, when well executed, remains a box-office sure bet.* ## The numbers that put the film in context ### A direct comparison with Toy Story 5 The new Minions installment outpaced **Toy Story 5**, released a week earlier, which had totaled **167,700 admissions** on its own launch day. This direct comparison between two heavyweights of family animation shows that **"Minions & Monsters"** managed to assert itself against competition already well established in French theaters. This kind of showdown between **popular animated franchises** has become a **classic indicator** for gauging the sector's vitality, and the result here clearly tips in favor of the newcomer, carried by **considerable brand recognition** among young audiences and families. ### Far behind the year's true champion The film nonetheless remains well behind the **true champion of the year**, **Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie**, which drew more than **315,079 viewers** on its opening day alone, before surpassing **5 million admissions** over its full run. This gap illustrates the current hierarchy of the French animated box office. This difference in scale takes nothing away from the Minions' performance, but it places the result in a **realistic perspective**: a very good opening, without rivaling the **cultural phenomenon** that the **Nintendo** video game adaptation represented earlier in the year. *I find this comparison useful to avoid any disproportionate excitement. A good score is still a good score, but you should never lose sight of the real scale of things in a sector where gaps between releases can be enormous.* ## The weight of the franchise's history ### Far more spectacular historical debuts This figure needs to be placed within the **saga's history**: the very first spin-off installment, released in **2015**, drew **596,291 admissions** on its first day excluding previews, a score nearly **3.4 times higher** than the new film's. The second installment, **"Minions: The Rise of Gru,"** released in **2022**, totaled **510,325 admissions** on its **theatrical launch**. This **downward trend** fits into a broader pattern seen across many **aging animated franchises**, facing a gradual **fatigue effect** among audiences after several successive releases within the same decade. ### A realistic final total rather than a triumph The **projections** cited by **Les Inrocks** point to **at least 2 million admissions** for the film's full theatrical run, a decent total but far below the **6.6 million** racked up by the first installment and the **nearly 4 million** achieved by the second. The film thus confirms a structural slowdown for the franchise rather than a new peak. This **downward trajectory** isn't necessarily a negative signal for **Universal**: it simply reflects the **maturity of a franchise** that already reached its widest audience during its earliest installments, a common pattern in the animation industry. *I don't see this decline as a failure. A franchise that ages normally, without collapsing abruptly, remains a commercially healthy franchise. It's a sign of maturity, not crisis.* ## The circumstantial factors that boosted attendance ### An unexpected heat wave lending theaters a hand The **film's performance** is partly explained by a factor external to the movie itself: a **heat wave** hit **France** during this period, pushing many families to seek the coolness of **air-conditioned theaters** rather than outdoor activities. This dynamic benefited **national theater attendance** as a whole during the week of **June 17 to 23**, with ticket sales up **50%** compared to the same period the previous year. This kind of **correlation** between **summer weather** and theater attendance is well documented by **industry analysts**, who regularly observe attendance spikes during heat waves, particularly for family films suited to children on school vacation. ### The Fête du Cinéma as an additional booster Adding to this weather factor was the **Fête du Cinéma**, held from **June 28 to July 1, 2026**, a period during which **discounted tickets** traditionally encourage a wider audience to go to the movies more often. This combination of events clearly worked in the film's favor in keeping it atop the rankings through its first full week. Without these favorable circumstances, it's plausible the film's score would have been more modest, which calls for a cautious reading of the raw figures without placing them in their precise circumstantial context. *I think you should always be wary of raw numbers without context. A heat wave and a discount cinema festival can artificially inflate a score that, under normal conditions, would have been more modest.* ## What the number of prints and per-screen average reveal ### A wide but not oversized release The film opened on **731 prints** on its first day, a **substantial number of screens** that nonetheless remains below what the biggest **Hollywood productions** typically get for their French release. This measured rollout reflects a distribution strategy calibrated for a film recognized as a likely success, without aiming for the maximum exposure reserved for the year's very biggest blockbusters. The **per-print average** came in at **237 admissions**, a **solid figure** confirming that **audience demand** was genuinely real and not simply the result of an artificially wide release across the country. ### A signal of distributor confidence This level of per-screen average indicates that **Universal Pictures France** correctly **anticipated audience appetite** for this new installment, without overestimating demand to the point of diluting attendance across too many screens. This balance between the number of prints and actual turnout is often seen by industry professionals as a sign of sound commercial management. This rigor in calibrating the release contrasts with some more aggressive strategies seen at other studios, which sometimes bet on maximum immediate exposure, even if the per-print average quickly collapses after the first weekend. *I find it refreshing to see a studio calibrate its release intelligently rather than flooding the market. It's a technical detail, but it says a lot about the professionalism behind this kind of launch.* ## The busy summer calendar ahead ### Competition already in place before the big blockbusters arrive This animated film's success comes just before the expected arrival of several **major summer productions** in French theaters, a period traditionally **decisive** for the entire film industry. Theater operators are closely watching these first weeks of July to gauge the overall attendance trend ahead of the summer peak. The **simultaneous presence** of several family films, including **Toy Story 5** released the previous week, illustrates a particularly **dense** lineup for families during this school-vacation period, forcing every distributor to fine-tune its **release strategy** to maximize its share of the pie. ### A test for the vitality of French theaters This **pileup of family releases** could just as easily benefit the sector as a whole, by drawing more moviegoers into **theaters**, as it could fragment the **available audience** among several competing films in a similar window. The coming weeks will tell whether this abundance of choice stimulates or dilutes overall attendance. The **French box office** is thus entering a **crucial test phase**, where the relative success or failure of each summer release will provide valuable insight into post-pandemic moviegoing habits, in an economic context where households are being more cautious in their leisure spending. *I'll be watching this busy calendar closely. A summer with this many family films could either durably revive theaters, or simply redistribute the same audience across several productions that end up cannibalizing each other.* ## What this success says about the French family audience ### A loyalty that hasn't fully faded Despite the gradual decline in scores compared to the earlier installments, the French family audience keeps showing up for this franchise, proof that a well-established entertainment brand retains real commercial value even after several successive installments spanning nearly a decade. This **loyalty**, though less spectacular than at the outset, remains a valuable asset for **Universal** and for the entire family animation ecosystem, a particularly profitable segment for theaters during school vacation periods. ### A lesson for the animation industry This result confirms that familiar, instantly recognizable characters remain a powerful commercial engine, even in an entertainment market increasingly fragmented by the proliferation of streaming platforms and competing content available at home. For animation studios, this kind of performance is a reminder of the importance of building lasting franchises rather than betting solely on original concepts, whose success is by nature more uncertain and harder to predict commercially. *I believe this result illustrates a simple truth about family cinema: characters people love seeing again are often worth more, commercially, than an original but unknown concept. It's not always satisfying creatively, but it's a market fact.* ## What critics think of this animated sequel ### A lukewarm but not hostile critical reception The trade press gave the film a generally lukewarm reception, without tearing it apart. Several critics point to a predictable plot, built above all to satisfy a young audience already won over to the **Minions** cause, rather than to deeply refresh the franchise's original formula. This moderate critical reception nonetheless didn't stop audiences from showing up in theaters, once again confirming that a family film's commercial success doesn't necessarily depend on the enthusiasm of professional critics. ### Unapologetic entertainment rather than an ambitious work Defenders of the film emphasize its stated goal: to deliver effective family entertainment rather than an ambitious animated work in the artistic sense of the term. This pragmatic approach seems to have convinced enough families to justify a solid commercial launch. This tension between artistic ambition and commercial effectiveness regularly runs through debates around major animation franchises, without either side ever truly settling the argument once and for all. *I don't ask a Minions movie to reinvent animated cinema. I ask it to make kids laugh and not bore the parents accompanying them, and on that specific point, the mission seems accomplished.* ## Conclusion: a good start, no miracle, in a promising summer ### An honest result, taken at face value "Minions & Monsters" delivers a solid opening, without rivaling the historic peaks of its own franchise or the "Super Mario Galaxy" phenomenon dominating 2026. It's a measured success, carried by a favorable alignment of weather and event-driven circumstances as much as by the enduring popularity of its characters. ### A summer of cinema shaping up to be closely fought The coming weeks will be decisive in judging whether this start of summer confirms a lasting rebound in theater attendance, or whether this performance will remain an isolated peak in a calendar otherwise crowded with direct competitors for the attention of the French family audience. *I close this decoding with a simple conclusion: the box office doesn't need miracles to do well, just good, familiar products delivered at the right time. That's exactly what this film offered, no more, no less.* **By Maxime Marquette, columnist** ## Columnist's transparency note ### Editorial stance I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies. I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events. ### Method and sources This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here. **Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies. **Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations. When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**. ### Nature of the analysis The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted. My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors. This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text. ## Sources ### Primary sources - [French box office: this week's results — AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=1000210427.html) - [French box-office calendar, week of July 1, 2026 — Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/calendar/2026-07-01/) - [French box office, day 1: "Minions & Monsters" posts the 4th-best opening of the year — Satellifacts, June 25, 2026](https://satellifacts.com/news/actualite/box-office-france-1er-jour-des-minions-et-des-monstres-signe-le-4e-meilleur-demarrage-de-l-annee) ### Secondary sources - [A smash hit for Minions & Monsters from its very first day — Le Figaro, June 26, 2026](https://www.lefigaro.fr/cinema/carton-plein-pour-des-minions-et-des-monstres-des-le-premier-jour-de-sortie-20260626) - ["Minions & Monsters": a truly stellar opening in France — Les Inrocks, June 26, 2026](https://www.lesinrocks.com/cinema/box-office-des-minions-et-des-monstres-un-demarrage-vraiment-canon-en-france-698560-26-06-2026/) - [Box office: Minions & Monsters lift Universal and Illumination — Box Office Pro](https://www.boxofficepro.fr/box-office-minions-monstres-universal-illumination/) --- Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. 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