Oscars CEO Praises Minions: The Rise of Gru's Box Office Success: "The Industry Needed That"

2022 has seen a lot of successful runs at the box office with Top Gun: Maverick leading the pack by passing $1 billion. One movie that has had a surprising amount of success at the box office is Minions: The Rise of Gru. The animated film was released in July and had a very successful opening as well as record-breaking box office numbers for July 4th weekend. At the end of August, the movie managed to cross $500 million at the international box office. During a panel discussion at TIFF (via Entertainment Weekly), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer addressed the success of Minions: The Rise of Gru.

"We did not hate that," Kramer told the audience after Minions: The Rise of Gru received praise from the panel's moderator, Jacqueline Coley. "The industry needed that." Kramer and AMPAS president Janet Yang went on to use the new Minions movie as an example of the type of content that will bridge the gap between the Academy's old and new ways. The Oscars organization will be joining platforms such as TikTok, which Yang explains will be a "better reflection of who we are in the industry."

While Minions: The Rise of Gru still has a ways to go to top Minions (2015) at the box office, the new installment has significantly better scores. The previous movie earned a 55% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes while Despicable Me 3 earned 59%. Minions: The Rise of Gru currently has a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It lags behind the first two installments of the franchise, however, which earned 81% and 75%, respectively. 

In Minions: The Rise of Gru, long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru (Carell) is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. It's not going particularly well. When Gru crosses paths with the Minions, including Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto — a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please — this unexpected family joins forces. Together, they build their first lair, design their first weapons, and strive to execute their first missions.

The film features the voice talent of Steve Carell as Gru, Taraji P. Henson as cool and confident leader Belle Bottom, whose chain belt doubles as a lethal disco-ball mace; Jean-Claude Van Damme as the nihilistic Jean Clawed, who's armed (literally) with a giant robotic claw; Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck, whose traditional nun's habit hides her deadly nun-chucks; Dolph Lundgren as Swedish roller-skate champion Svengeance, who dispenses his enemies with spin kicks from his spiked skates; and Danny Trejo as Stronghold, whose giant iron hands are both a menace to others and a burden to him. 

Minions: The Rise of Gru is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.