According to The Hollywood Reporter , The Rise of Gru earned a whopping $129.2 million domestically and is on track for a global opening of over $200 million. The film had one of the biggest stars for an animated blockbuster, domestically. Its predicted success also marks a return to form for the pandemic-era animated releases, which have so far suffered badly at the box office. The Minions sequel was originally estimated to earn between $70 million and $80 million over the July 4th weekend. RELATED: Top Gun: The Maverick Sets Another Huge Tom Cruise Box Office Record Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the biggest animated release has been Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which brought in $72 million in its opening. But when it comes to July 4th weekends in particular, The Rise of Gru has surpassed major titles like Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which earned $115.9 million over a four-day weekend. Spider-Man 2, with $115.8 million. even Despicable Me 3, which earned $99 million. In addition to Steve Carrell returning as the Despicable Me villain with a heart of gold and Pierre Coffin as the voice of the classy minions, Minions: The Rise of Gru features an all-star cast including Michelle Yeoh, Russell Brand . , Julie Andrews, Taraji P. Henson, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, RZA, Danny Trejo, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Alan Arkin. RELATED: Jurassic World Dominion Joins Godzilla Vs. Kong in a major landmark of the Chinese Box Office The Universal and Illumination film faces more than two cinematic heavyweights, including Top Gun: Maverick, which is down in its weekly performance but still earns big. Elvis, who took first place at the opening. and Jurassic World Dominion, though the end of the trilogy is quickly sinking into weekly earnings. Rise of Gru was delayed early in the pandemic. It was originally scheduled to hit theaters on July 3, 2020, before Universal announced a delay in March of that year, as Illumination Animation’s studios in France were forced to close, leaving the film unfinished. However, during the extended lockdown periods, the project shifted to remote production. Universal Pictures and Illuminations’ Minions: The Rise of Gru is in theaters now. Source: THR