When Will ‘Minions & Monsters’ Stream After Its Theater Release?

Universal Pictures is expected to follow its current release strategy for Minions & Monsters, meaning the latest installment in the Despicable Me franchise is likely to remain exclusively in theaters for at least five weekends before becoming available through premium video on demand (PVOD). The animated film debuted nationwide on July 1 and is widely expected to become another major box office success, but its commercial performance is unlikely to alter the studio’s established release schedule.

Directed by Pierre Coffin, Minions & Monsters serves as the seventh film in the Despicable Me series and explores the early adventures of Gru’s famous yellow Minions before they met the future supervillain. Set in 1920s Hollywood, the story follows the Minions after they accidentally arrive during the silent film era. As talking pictures replace silent movies, the Minions struggle to find work and decide to create their own monster film using a mystical book capable of bringing terrifying creatures to life. Their plan goes wrong when the monsters attempt to conquer the world, forcing the Minions to stop their own creations.

The PG-rated animated feature includes voice performances from Pierre Coffin, Allison Janney, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Trey Parker, Bobby Moynihan, Phil LaMarr, Zoey Deutsch, Christoph Waltz and George Lucas.

Earlier this year, Universal revised its digital release policy. Under the previous system, films earning less than $50 million during their opening weeks could reach PVOD after 17 days in theaters, while higher-grossing releases became available after 30 days. Beginning in March, however, the studio introduced a standard requirement that every theatrical release remain in cinemas for a minimum of five weekends before arriving on PVOD, typically around 31 or 32 days after release. Universal has also announced that this theatrical window will increase to seven weekends, or roughly 45 days, beginning in 2027.

Recent Universal releases, including Reminders of Him and You, Me & Tuscany, followed the new five-weekend model before their digital debuts. Although The Super Mario Galaxy Movie remained in theaters for seven weekends before reaching PVOD, Minions & Monsters is currently expected to follow the same pattern as the franchise’s previous entries rather than receive an extended window.

The last two films in the series, Despicable Me 4 and Minions: The Rise of Gru, both shifted to PVOD after five weekends despite their strong box office performances. Despicable Me 4 earned $986.7 million worldwide, while Minions: The Rise of Gru collected $937.7 million globally in 2022, despite the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on theaters. Based on that release history, Minions & Monsters is projected to arrive on PVOD around Aug. 4, when new digital releases are typically made available on Tuesdays. If Universal instead extends its theatrical run to seven weekends, the film would likely reach PVOD no later than Aug. 18.

Universal also maintains a relatively consistent timeline for subscription streaming releases on Peacock. The studio generally brings its theatrical releases to the NBCUniversal streaming service approximately 118 days, or nearly 18 weeks, after their cinema debut. Reminders of Him, released in theaters on March 13, is scheduled to stream on Peacock beginning July 10, while The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which opened on April 1, is expected to arrive on the platform on July 30. If Minions & Monsters follows the same schedule, subscribers can expect it to begin streaming on Peacock around Oct. 30.

For now, Minions & Monsters is available exclusively in theaters.