We are in the final frame of July as the summer movie season is beginning to slow down, but one last major animated feature until November is ready to steal some of the box office kids and family mojo from Minions: The Rise of Gru. DC League of Super-Pets aims to be the new top choice for kids and families and hopes to shine where Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank failed two weeks ago.
Minions: The Rise of Gru became the first animated film of the Covid-era to cross the $300 million mark at the domestic box office as it has managed to be a big draw with the family audience since opening over the Fourth of July weekend. Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank wasn’t a big enough draw to pull that audience away from Minions, but as it’s heading into its fifth weekend, a bigger brand could make that audience want to test another product. DC might have a questionable time with some of its live-action efforts, but the DC Comics branding should fair better on the animated front. DC League of Super-Pets also has a big assist in the star voice casting of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. They’ve been actively promoting the film, particularly via social media, where they both have a huge following.
Reviews for DC League of Super-Pets are solid as of this writing, with a 75% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank lacked stellar reviews, so that was another detriment that the film had to recover from, and it failed to do so. The movie also has the potential to have some serious legs if the audience responds because it is the last animated effort on deck until November. It could monopolize the family audience in a big way in the weeks ahead. Regarding how the film starts its run, I’m calling for a $30 million open for DC League of Super-Pets.
Nope will drop to second place this weekend, and a hefty drop is in the cards because the sci-fi/horror genre typically sees a steep drop in weekend two, and that’s especially true when the response to the film is particularly polarizing. Some people LOVE Nope, while others were more lukewarm to negative about the finished product. I still think that years down the line, Nope will be reevaluated as one of Jordan Peele’s best films, but today we have to settle for an opinion that appears to be split right down the middle. Even though this weekend will see a sharp drop, I do think the film will level off a bit in the weeks ahead. I’m predicting an $18 million second weekend for Nope.
Thor: Love and Thunder will slip to third and will likely level off enough not to see another 50%+ drop this weekend. The potential good news for the Marvel release is that it will likely cross the $300 million mark at the domestic box office this weekend, representing another win, at least financially, for the MCU. I predict a $13 million weekend for Thor: Love and Thunder.
Minions: The Rise of Gru should take fourth this weekend, and it will face its fiercest competition to date, with DC League of Super-Pets coming in hot to take some of its thunder. Minions won’t exactly crater in the film’s presence, but it will share more of the audience than when Paws of Fury tried to be a threat. Minions: The Rise of Gru should see about $10 million this weekend.
Rounding out the top five will be this summer’s most reliable film, Top Gun: Maverick. The movie shows no signs of slowing down as each weekend drop has been very slim. I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie maintains these small declines that it’s still a significant player by the time we get to Labor Day weekend in September. That’s how amazing its run has been since opening back over Memorial Day weekend. Top Gun: Maverick should see about $9 million this weekend.
What are YOUR box office predictions for the weekend?
TOP FIVE BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS: