{
  "id": 11330596,
  "title": "Universal Chief Reflects on ‘Minions & Monsters’ Box Office Drop: ‘Perhaps the Old Hollywood Story Was a Little Over Their Heads’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/universal-chief-reflects-on-minions-monsters-box-office-drop-perhaps",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-02T01:52:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/universal-chief-reacts-minions-monsters-box-office-drop/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Universal Studios is doing well, thanks to films such as \"The Odyssey\" and \"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie\" both of which made over $1 billion. Other successful titles include \"Obsession\" and \"Michael,\" which together have generated $5 billion in worldwide grosses. However, the studio's summer blockbuster \"Minions & Monsters\" from Illumination fell short of expectations, earning only $523 million worldwide, a 44% decline from 2022's \"Minions: The Rise of Gru,\" which grossed $940 million. Universal's chairman Donna Langley attributed the drop to the film's references to silent film era Hollywood, which critics praised but didn't resonate with younger audiences. She noted that while the film received critical acclaim, it may have been too complex for children, the core audience. Langley also acknowledged the studio's miscalculation in assuming Gen Z would still support the franchise, as they didn't experience the same meme-driven success as with \"Minions: The Rise of Gru.\" She speculated that a year-long gap between films may have affected anticipation and suggested that original animation needs to meet a higher bar to succeed at the box office, with a higher price point to compensate for lower numbers.",
  "summary": "While still a theatrical success, the latest \"Despicable Me\" spinoff fell 44% below the box office total of \"Minions: The Rise of Gru\" The post Universal Chief Reflects on ‘Minions & Monsters’ Box Office Drop: ‘Perhaps the Old Hollywood Story Was a Little Over Their Heads’ appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "Universal's miscalculation on \"Minions & Monsters\" signals a shift in audience preferences, suggesting that complex references and franchise gaps may impact box office success, particularly among younger viewers.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}