‘Minions’ rule N. American box office with $127.9 million

Los Angeles: "Minions: The Rise of Gru," the latest installment in the animated

"Despicable Me" franchise, crushed the competition at the North American box

office in its opening weekend, with an expected $127.9 million take over the four-day July 4th holiday.

Universal´s "Minions" far outpaced the number two film, "Top Gun:

Maverick," which came in at $32.5 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

"This is a sensational opening," said analyst David A.

Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

"Family animation, more than any other genre, has struggled to find its footing during the pandemic," he said.

This weekend, ´Minions´ is breaking through and big animation is back in business.