‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ grosses $100 million at international box-office

Minions: The Rise of Gru collected $93.7 million from 61 overseas markets and has become one of the biggest pandemic-era opening weekends for an animated film in many territories.

According to reports, Minions debuts with $108 million over the weekend and it is predicted that the film will gross $127.9 million through the American Independence Day on 4 July.

The film collected $12.9 million in the United Kingdom and Ireland, followed by Mexico with $12.4 million and Germany with $4.8 million. Other top-grossing markets include Spain with $3.6 million, Brazil with $3.2 million, Indonesia with $3.4 million and Argentina with $3.3 million.

The film serves as a continuation of the 2015 film Minions, and features Minions (Pierre Coffin) first encounter with a young felonius Gru (Steve Carell), a 12-year-old with a dream to become the world’s greatest supervillain.

Minions: The Rise of Gru is produced by Illumination’s Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy while Chris Renaud serves as the executive producer. The film is directed by returning franchise filmmaker Kyle Balda (Despicable Me 3, Minions), co-directed by Brad Ableson (The Simpsons) and Jonathan del Val (The Secret Life of Pets films).

Minions: The Rise of Gru stars a thrilling new cast, featuring more spectacular action than any film in Illumination history and packed with the franchise’s signature subversive humour. It includes the Vicious 6: Taraji P. Henson as cool and confident leader Belle Bottom, whose chain belt doubles as a lethal disco-ball mace; Jean-Claude Van Damme as the nihilistic Jean Clawed, who’s armed (literally) with a giant robotic claw; Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck, whose traditional nun’s habit hides her deadly nun-chucks; Dolph Lundgren as Swedish roller-skate champion Svengeance, who dispenses his enemies with spin kicks from his spiked skates; and Danny Trejo as Stronghold, whose giant iron hands are both a menace to others and a burden to him.  

The film also stars Russell Brand as Young Dr. Nefario, an aspiring mad scientist, Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow, an acupuncturist with mad kung fu skills, and Oscar winner Julie Andrews as Gru’s maddeningly self-absorbed mom.