Aug 8, 2022

It's not over yet, -Minions: "Minion Crisis" will be released in Chinese theaters.

After seemingly hitting a plateau at the historic box office, NBCUniversal/Illumination's "Minions: The Rise of Gru" has received a second wind in the form of a theatrical release in China.

On August 19, "Minions: The Rise of Gru" will be the first Hollywood blockbuster to open theatrically in China since Universal's "Jurassic World: Dominion. The last time a major Hollywood animated feature screened in China was DreamWorks' "The Bad Guys," which grossed $49.5 million and accounted for more than 20% of the $204.7 million worldwide box office.

Universal has a new poster and "Long time no see, troublemakers! Riding scooters! It's a little crowded in the backseat; call your family and friends and meet us at the theater on August 19!"

Earlier this year, the COVID regulations were tightened and the Chinese box office was in shambles, including a complete blockade. In recent weeks, however, health and safety conditions at movie theaters have eased and ticket sales are on the rise.

The first "Despicable Me" film did not even enter Chinese cinemas. However, after "Despicable Me 2" made a strong first impression in 2014, Gru and his yellow totalized friends became familiar to the Chinese public; in 2017, "Despicable Me 3" grossed $158 million at the Chinese box office and its final global box office gross reached $1 billion reached $35.5 million.

On August 18, "Phantom Thief: Minion's Great Escape" will also open in Italian theaters. For reference, "Minions" earned $26.3 million in the Italian peninsula. Add to this the sure-fire influx from China and the continued worldwide theatrical releases ("Rise of Gru" earned $23 million last weekend), and it could give "Rise of Gru" a significant global boost. Its current worldwide box office is $757.9 million.

CORRECTION: Box Office Mojo reported "Minions" at $757.9 million: Box Office Mojo reported "The Rise of Gru" at $905 million, and we cited that incorrect figure in an earlier posting of this article.