If It's July 4 Weekend, It Must Be... Gru?
'Despicable Me 4' affirms the Minions' hold over the Independence Day holiday as 'MaXXXine' again shows that online hype doesn't equal general audience interest.
Once upon a time, the July 4th weekend belonged to Will Smith. In 1996 (Independence Day), 1997 (Men in Black), 1999 (Wild Wild West), 2002 (Men in Black II) and 2008 (Hancock), the former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air launched four big summer tentpoles to... mixed results. Okay, so 4/5 isn't bad. I, Robot being pushed aside by Spider-Man 2 in 2004 and then Men in Black III being "sent to Memorial Day weekend" thanks to Amazing Spider-Man in 2012 now feels symbolic in terms of the coming "marquee character > movie star" status quo.
That said, Smith's run as the world's biggest movie star (2002 to 2008) mostly took place *after* his "Big Willy Weekend" run. Or, I guess you could say it began and ended with a Smith film dominating this holiday weekend. Regardless, there's been a new Independence Day weekend sheriff in town for the last 11 years, and he (or they?) have no intention of ceding the throne anytime soon. Say it with me now: if it's Independence Day, it must be... Saw Gru (or the Minions)! Despicable Me 4 earned $27 million on Friday.
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