Despicable Me 2 Expected To Dominate Box Office

Despicable Me 2 is set to dominate the box office this 4th of July weekend. The movie made $4.7 million during Tuesday-night premiere and collected an estimated $34.3 million on Wednesday putting it on track to earn around $140 million through Sunday. The original Despicable Me earned more than $543 million total around the world and the sequel is set to beat those numbers.

The Steve Carrel led animation is the best in 2013 so far and the biggest release ever for Universal, beating out “The Croods” and “Monsters’s University”. Johnny Depp’s The Lone Ranger disappointed by bringing in only $9.7 million on its Wednesday premiere up against the budget of $225 million from Disney. The Lone Ranger reunited Disney studios with Johnny Depp and Caribbean director Gore Verbinski.

Many critics noted that the film had bad casting with Depp as the Native American sidekick, Tonto. Johnny Depp told MTV News that he had great respect for the role. “Just taking into consideration the way that Native Americans have been portrayed in old-school TV series as sidekicks or savages. I just thought it was a way to flip it completely on its head and an opportunity to send great respect and thanks to the Native Americans for all they’ve lived through and went through in their existence.”

Kevin Hart’s Let Me Explain is expected to make about $18 million over five days.

Shanika Simmons