Minions & Monsters opened to $13.75 million on its first day in North American theaters, Deadline reported Wednesday, arriving with the best reviews of the Despicable Me franchise’s 16-year run.

The seventh film in Illumination and Universal’s animated series has landed a 93 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer from 42 reviews, a series high. Strong reviews haven’t translated into a blockbuster opening, though, which says something about where the franchise stands after seven films.

Critics Split, Even at the Top

Not every major outlet loved it. The Guardian’s review was less kind, arguing the film tries to push the Minions in a smarter, fresher direction but ultimately circles back to the same gibberish-fueled formula that built the franchise in the first place.

That split between a strong Tomatometer score and a more mixed take from serious critics is common for franchise animation. Audience turnout over the next few days, not the review aggregate, will determine whether the positive buzz holds.

A Modest Opening for a Franchise That Used to Dominate

The $13.75 million opening day ranks as the fourth-best Wednesday opening for an animated film released in July, trailing Despicable Me 2’s $35 million in 2013, Despicable Me 4’s $27.2 million in 2024, and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ $13.79 million in 2009.

Exhibitors are projecting a five-day July 4th weekend haul between $60 million and $90 million, with $80 million the working forecast, from roughly 4,000 North American theaters.

A Crowded, Slower Summer

Minions & Monsters isn’t opening into empty theaters. Disney’s Toy Story 5 is still drawing $35 million to $45 million in its third weekend, and Supergirl is bracing for a 60 percent drop after a $37.1 million debut.

Box office analysts also expect the holiday weekend itself to run softer than usual this year, since July 4th falls on a Saturday. That tends to pull people toward barbecues and fireworks instead of movie theaters, even during what is normally one of the biggest weekends of the summer.

Minions & Monsters plays through the full five-day July 4th weekend before the real numbers settle.