Yellow fever! Minions swarms box office with $115.2M haul to become the second-biggest animated opening of all time

It looks like all that marketing is starting to pay off.

Minions overran the box office on the weekend as audiences in the US and Canada shelled out an estimated $115.2 million to see the evil-master-serving horde frolic on the big screen.

It was an easy win for the sidekicks who took the spotlight after playing supporting roles in two previous Despicable Me movies. 

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Gold: Minions overran the box office on the weekend as audiences shelled out an estimated $115.2 million to see the henchmen's spin-off, making it the second-biggest animated opening of all time

Gold: Minions overran the box office on the weekend as audiences shelled out an estimated $115.2 million to see the henchmen's spin-off, making it the second-biggest animated opening of all time

The bright, babbling baldies have become key characters in the franchise from Universal's Illumination Entertainment.

Directed by Peter Coffin, who co-directed the Despicable Me 1 and 2 and voices the Minions, the movie easily beat Jurassic World, another Universal picture that grossed $18.1 million in its fifth weekend after release, according to box office tracker Rentrak.

Disney's Inside Out came in third with $17.1 million in its fourth weekend.

All star cast: The film stars Sandra Bullock and John Hamm, as well as Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, Geoffrey Rush and Jennifer Saunders, with Steve Carrell reprising his role as a young Gru
All star cast: The film stars Sandra Bullock and John Hamm, as well as Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, Geoffrey Rush and Jennifer Saunders, with Steve Carrell reprising his role as a young Gru

All star cast: The film stars Sandra Bullock and John Hamm, as well as Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, Geoffrey Rush and Jennifer Saunders, with Steve Carrell reprising his role as a young Gru

Minions' opening weekend haul was the second highest animated opening of all time, behind only 2007's Shrek The Third, which made $121.6million in one weekend.

It pushed 2010 Best Picture Oscar nominee Toy Story 3 ($110.3 million) and Shrek 2 ($108 million) into third and fourth place respectively.

And having made $46.2 million on Friday, Minions scored the highest ever opening day for an animated film, besting Toy Story 3’s $41.7 million record.

Despite Minion's massive haul, it still has a way to go to make back the unprecedented $600million or so spent promoting the film

Despite Minion's massive haul, it still has a way to go to make back the unprecedented $600million or so spent promoting the film

Yellow fever: Companies such as Amazon boxes, Chiquita bananas, McDonald's Happy Meals and even Tic Tacs themselves have all been overrun by the little yellow henchmen

Yellow fever: Companies such as Amazon boxes, Chiquita bananas, McDonald's Happy Meals and even Tic Tacs themselves have all been overrun by the little yellow henchmen

The spin off becomes the fourth film to break the $100million barrier this year, and the third from Universal's stable, after Jurassic World and Furious 7; Disney had the other with Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Despite Minion's massive haul, it still has a way to go to make back the unprecedented $600million or so spent promoting the film. 

Products such as Amazon boxes, Chiquita bananas, McDonald's Happy Meals and even Tic Tacs themselves have all been overrun by the little yellow henchmen, while virtually every single billboard in the greater Los Angeles area has been bought out by the studio.

Say what? The internet had a mini meltdown when parents insisted babbling McDonald's Minion toys were swearing.

Say what? The internet had a mini meltdown when parents insisted babbling McDonald's Minion toys were swearing.

You must be joking: The promotional push has been so overwhelming that many believed Kotex had released Minion tampons, which was later revealed to be a hoax.

You must be joking: The promotional push has been so overwhelming that many believed Kotex had released Minion tampons, which was later revealed to be a hoax.

The promotional push has been so overwhelming that many believed Kotex had released Minion tampons, which was later revealed to be a hoax. 

The internet also had another mini meltdown when parents insisted babbling McDonald's Minion toys were swearing.

The film stars Sandra Bullock, John Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, Geoffrey Rush and Jennifer Saunders, with Steve Carrell reprising his role as a young Gru. 

Third time lucky: The spin off becomes the fourth film to break the $100million barrier this year, and the third from Universal's stable, after Jurassic World and Furious 7; Disney had the other with Avengers: Age of Ultron

Third time lucky: The spin off becomes the fourth film to break the $100million barrier this year, and the third from Universal's stable, after Jurassic World and Furious 7; Disney had the other with Avengers: Age of Ultron

DOMESTIC WEEKEND BOX OFFICE RANKINGS, JULY 10-12 

1 - Minions $115.2m                           (1st weekend)

2 - Jurassic World $18.1m                  (5th weekend)

3 - Inside Out $17.1m                         (4th weekend)

4 - Terminator: Genisys $13.7m         (2nd weekend)

5 - The Gallows $10m                        (1st weekend)

6 - Magic Mike XXL $9.6m                 (2nd weekend)

7 - Ted 2 $5.6m                                  (3rd weekend)

8 - Self/Less $5.4m                            (1st weekend)

9 - Baahubali: The Beginning $3.6m  (1st weekend)

10-  Max (2015) $3.4m                       (3rd weekend)

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