‘Despicable Me 4’ debuts with $122.6M as boom times return to the box office

NEW YORK (AP) — After a historically bad first half of the year, the box office is suddenly booming. The Illumination Animation sequel “Despicable Me 4” led the way over the holiday weekend with $75 million in ticket sales Friday through Sunday. Universal Studio metrics released Sunday estimate that the movie has raked in $122.6 million since opening on Wednesday. The Independence Day weekend haul further extended the considerable box-office reign of the Minions, arguably the most bankable force in movies today. And it also kept a summer streak going for Hollywood. The year's biggest hit thus far, “Inside Out 2” came in second with $30 million. “A Quiet Place Day One" dropped to third with $21 million.