Despicable Me 3

"Minions: The Rise of Gru," the latest installment in the animated "Despicable Me" franchise, crushed the competition at the North American box office in its opening weekend, with an expected $127.9 million take over the four-day July 4th holiday.

"War for the Planet of the Apes" won this weekend's battle of the box office in North America, riding on strong reviews and ever more natural-looking apes to take $56.3 million.

"Spider-Man: Homecoming," Sony's newest addition to the growing library of summertime superhero yarns, spun up an impressive opening in North American theaters this weekend, with ticket sales for the three-day weekend estimated at $117 million.

This weekend, Despicable Me 3 will premiere in more U.S. theaters than any other movie in history. As Variety reports, 4,529 theaters will show the film. The movie is the fourth release in the franchise that first introduced the freaky little yellow monsters known as Minions to the world in 2010.