‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ breaks Fourth of July box office record

Stuart the Minion in Universal Pictures’ “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” Universal Pictures’ “Minions: The Rise of Gru” has risen above every other Fourth of July weekend opening with its record-breaking $125-million domestic box office haul this weekend. Updated estimates from measurement firm Comscore released Monday push the latest installment of Illumination’s animated “Despicable Me” franchise past the previous record-holder, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” The third film of the live-action “Transformer” franchise collected $115.9 million during its four-day holiday opening in 2011. Still going strong in second place is Paramount Pictures’ “Top Gun: Maverick,” which made $33 million in its sixth weekend for a North American cumulative gross of $571 million. Rounding out the top five are Warner Bros.’ “Elvis,” which added $23.5 million in its sophomore weekend for a North American cumulative gross of $71.8 million; Universal Pictures’ “Jurassic World Dominion,” which devoured $19.7 million in its fourth weekend for a North American cumulative gross of $335.9 million; and Universal Pictures’ “The Black Phone,” which scared up $14.5 million in its second weekend for a North American cumulative gross of $49.6 million over the holiday weekend.