Universal and Illumination's 'Minions and Monsters' had a lukewarm start in the U.S., pulling in $36 million over the July 4th holiday weekend, the lowest domestic opening for the 'Despicable Me' franchise.
Franchise Fatigue?
Rebecca Rubin from Variety suggests franchise fatigue might be affecting 'Minions and Monsters.' The film, budgeted at $85 million, has made $160 million globally, performing better overseas. Rubin notes, "This is a franchise that tends to be pretty popular overseas... it’s hard to knock that kind of business."
'Young Washington' Captures Audience
In contrast, Angel Studios' 'Young Washington,' an indie biopic of George Washington, found success with values-driven audiences, securing $20 million in its debut. Rubin comments, "Angel Studios have a niche... moviegoers who see these films often give them very good audience scores. This one had an A grade."
Sky's $2.1 Billion ITV Acquisition
K.J. Yossman of Variety reports on Comcast's Sky acquiring U.K. broadcaster ITV for $2.1 billion. The deal includes ITV's linear broadcast network and ITVX streaming platform, while ITV Studios remains publicly traded. Yossman explains the shifting landscape, "The threat now is from these American giants... the government will be quite supportive of these kinds of mergers."
Comcast recently announced plans to separate its core cable and tech assets from NBCUniversal and Sky. Yossman notes, "Our sense is that is really where the value for them is for the streaming platform, ITVX."
Source: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/minions-and-monsters-young-washington-box-office-sky-itv-1236802981/
