The latest entry in the franchise sees Gru (Steve Carrell), Lucy (Kristen Wiig), and their girls, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Madison Polan), welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr. Meanwhile, Gru faces a new enemy in the form of Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), who force the family to go on the run. The cast also includes Joey King (“Bullet Train”), Stephen Colbert (“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”), and Chloe Fineman (“Saturday Night Live”). The film was directed by Chris Renaud, who directed the first two entries in the series.

As it stands, 2015’s “Minions” is the biggest movie in the franchise, making a whopping $1.15 billion worldwide. Rather crucially, these movies tend to play very well overseas, with 71% of that money coming outside of North America. “Despicable Me 3,” which is also a member of the $1 billion club, had a similar split. The #Gentleminions trend also helped make “The Rise of Gru” a $940 million hit in 2022. That’s important to remember when it comes to the latest sequel, as it figures to do gangbusters business around the world. It’s the bigger picture that really matters here.

Thankfully, this couldn’t be coming at a better time. Before “Inside Out 2” came along, 2024 was suffering badly at the box office, with ticket sales lagging far behind 2023. Luckily, the tide is turning. “A Quiet Place: Day One” also looks to be a sizable hit for the horror crowd, sandwiched between two animated behemoths. Plus, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is just around the corner. Things are looking up, and the Minions are going to play a big part in this much-needed upswing.

“Despicable Me 4” hits theaters on July 3, 2024.