ENTERTAINMENT'Toy Story 5' and 'Minions' Show Family Movies Can't Run on Nostalgia Alone
'Minions & Monsters' opened modestly while 'Toy Story 5' remained strong throughout the holiday weekend.
July 8 2026, Published 5:33 a.m. ET
The Fourth of July box office was not a wipeout for family movies. It was a warning shot.
Illumination and Universal’s Minions & Monsters opened to a $62 million five-day domestic start, the lowest opening yet for the Despicable Me and Minions franchise.
Overseas, however, the film was far stronger, taking the movie to a $147.1 million global weekend and a running total of $160.6 million.
‘Minions & Monsters' opened below previous franchise entries domestically.
Meanwhile, Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5 stayed strong in its third weekend, earning $100 million globally, including $31 million in North America.
The film has reached $764.3 million worldwide, with $366.3 million domestic and $398 million international.
Families Are Still Going
Families proved more selective about theatrical outings this holiday weekend.
Toy Story 5 gave Minions & Monsters unusually fierce family competition, marking the first time a Despicable Me or Minions title has faced a Toy Story installment around this time of year. The Fourth of July weekend also bit into overall box office performance, while boosting the patriotic entry Young Washington topping $20 million domestically.
“The close performance between major family franchises reflects a broader shift in audience behavior,” said Tisha Morris, founder of Legacy Arts Law PC.
“Brand recognition alone is no longer enough to guarantee attendance,” she explained. “Families are far more selective about what justifies the cost of a theatrical outing because streaming has trained audiences to expect most titles at home within a relatively short window. Today's ‘event movie’ has to offer something that feels culturally urgent, visually spectacular, or socially shareable across generations.”
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Nostalgia Has to Do More
Experts said nostalgia alone no longer guaranteed box office success.
“I don’t think this is simply a competition between Toy Story and Minions,” said brand and communications consultant Sam Gauchier.
She pointed out that “nostalgia isn’t enough anymore” and the real competition is “the convenience of staying home.”
“The audience didn’t age out of Toy Story, it grew into the decision-maker. The children who fell in love with Woody and Buzz nearly 30 years ago are now the parents deciding whether a family outing is worth the time and expense,” she said. “I don’t think adults are trying to relive childhood — I think they’re looking for opportunities to share that feeling with their own children.”
The Couch Is the Competition
Industry experts highlighted streaming as a major challenge for family films.
“Ironically, the rise of streaming may actually increase the value of theatrical experiences,” said award-winning educator Josephine Hunt, founder of The Resilience Revolution.
“Parents are increasingly seeking experiences that reconnect their families,” she noted. “The movie itself becomes only one part of the experience. The drive to the theater, sharing popcorn, laughing together, discussing favorite scenes afterward, and creating traditions all become equally valuable.”
Hunt said families going to the movies are really looking for more than entertainment.
“The franchises that understand this shift, those that create authentic, emotionally meaningful, multigenerational experiences rather than relying solely on nostalgia or spectacle,” she predicted, “will continue to have a competitive advantage.”
