Universal’s Despicable Me 2 kicked off the Fourth of July weekend in animated fashion Tuesday starting at 7 p.m., earning $4.7 million from 2,563 locations.
The toon sequel, featuring Steve Carell and Kristin Wiig, beat the $3 million opening late-night performance of Disney/Pixar’s Monsters University.
Despicable Me 2 is expected to beat this weekend’s other wide release, Johnny Depp’s The Lone Ranger, which grossed $2 million Tuesday night. The Universal toon is estimated to earn $115 million through Sunday, compared to the big-budget Western’s $65 million-$70 million five-day projection.
