It’s Worth the Wait for Minions: The Rise Of Gru to Take 3rd Place in Deadline’s 2022 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament

Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament took a break during the pandemic, as theaters were closed for most of 2020-2021 and theatrical titles became more common on both the big screen and studios’ respective streaming platforms. Returning from that side, studios have largely returned to their theatrical release models and the downstream monetization they can bring. Not to mention their strength in launching IPs around the world with huge global marketing campaigns. When it comes to evaluating the financial performance of top films, it’s not about how much a film costs at the box office. The real story is told when production budgets, P&A, talent royalties and other costs collide with box office and spin-off revenues from VOD to DVD and TV. To get closer to that mysterious end of the equation, Deadline is recapping our Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament for 2022, using data from experienced and trusted sources.

THE MOVIE

Minions: The Rise of Gru
Lighting/Universal

Similar to what moviegoers love jurassic world Dinosaurs, they are absolute Minions lovers and can’t resist them, no matter how many movies – and Minions: The Rise of Gru repeat the fifth to make her a star. Absence makes the heart beat faster and anticipation for this film was the fact withheld by Covid; the release date has been moved from July 2020 to July 2022. Universal was one of the first studios to pursue a controversial day-and-date theatrical release with DreamWorks Animations fairly early in the pandemic. World Tour of the Trolls, with a premium VOD and a theatrical debut (in all drive-in theaters available as of March 2020). However, the head of Illumination, Chris Meledandri, always had a full theatrical run ahead of him Minions: The Rise Of Gru, Delayed the prequel at a time when most movie theaters were closed. Some in the film industry worried whether family moviegoers would ever return to theaters during the pandemic; tried-and-true Disney films experienced mediocre ticket sales (Encanto found an audience on Disney+ and failed to surpass $100 million at the domestic box office while Pixars toy story turnoff light year bombed). But Minions: The Rise of Gru proving that parents and children are still looking for an escape to the cinema. The catch here was the origin story of how future evil secret agent Gru first befriended the tall, mischievous yellow boys. The audience laughed loudly and complied Rise of Gru the fourth A CinemaScore of the franchise.

THE BOX SCORE

IT COMES AFTER

While production of live-action films was halted during the pandemic, animation continued as most departments could work remotely. The Covid delay and the struggles of Illumination staff in Santa Monica and France pushed the cost up to $100 million. Our financial sources here do not include the prequel’s retail revenue, as the Minions brand brings in over $6 billion in retail sales. Universal had $285 million in worldwide advertising through various advertising partners who also waited for the film to hit theaters due to Covid. Minions: The Rise of Gru opened to a four-day Independence Day weekend record of $123 million. Participations of $40 million include Steve Carell’s money. The $170 million worldwide TV haul counts not only what Peacock Universal paid for the film’s first Pay One window, but also what Netflix paid Uni for 10 months of an 18-month window for the film. The prequel became the fourth Minions Universe film to gross over $900 million worldwide and then the third to gross over $300 million. followers And Despicable Me 2. With five films, the Minions/Gru universe is now $4.6 billion at the global box office. At $382 million, after all additional costs, Minions: The Rise of Gru was more in the black than in 2017 Me – despicable me 3 ($366 million), proving that releasing this franchise title during the pandemic paid off.