It's a great time to be Universal."The Odyssey" and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" each made over $1 billion."Obsession" became the biggest surprise hit of the year."Michael" was a global success, and the studio's worldwide box office earnings in 2026 have already passed $5 billion.
However, one film that was expected to be a major summer hit ended up only being a modest success at the box office.
Illumination's "Minions & Monsters," the seventh film in the "Despicable Me" series, earned $523 million worldwide.That's 44% less than the 2022 film "Minions: The Rise of Gru," which brought in $940 million.
For more than 15 years, "Despicable Me" and "Minions" have been among the top earners in animation.
So, why did "Minions & Monsters" underperform?Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal, explained that the film's many references to the silent film era of Hollywood, which won it the best reviews in the series, didn't connect with its usual young audience.
"Maybe for kids, that kind of old Hollywood story was a bit too complex," Langley said at Bloomberg Screentime.
"It might not have appealed to them in the same way." She also said she was proud of the reviews the film received from Pierre Coffin.
When "Minions: The Rise of Gru" came out, it was boosted by Gen Z moviegoers who turned it into a viral trend with the "Gentleminions" challenge, with young men wearing suits to watch the slapstick comedy they grew up with.
Langley said Universal knew they wouldn't get that same kind of viral moment with "Minions & Monsters," but they still had confidence that Gen Z would come out to see it.
"We definitely miscalculated," Langley admitted.
"It wouldn't have changed whether we greenlit the movie, but maybe we would have planned a bit differently.Minions have been around for 17 years, and we didn't have a long break between the films.We moved the release up, so maybe a little more time could have built more excitement."
Langley was also asked about the challenges Hollywood faces with original animated films, since only sequels and established franchises have reached the $500 million mark globally since the pandemic.
Universal faced this issue this weekend with DreamWorks' "Forgotten Island," which opened with just $13 million in the U.S., far below its $80 million budget, despite solid reviews from critics and audiences.
"We have to adjust our strategy for original animation," Langley said.
"They need to be more theatrical, and we have to expect that the numbers won't be as high as they once were.We need to be two steps ahead of audience tastes and where they're going.If we're not, we need to be honest about why things aren't working and adjust our approach."
