Minions: The Rise of Gru has outperformed commercial expectations at the box office. The film grossed $127.9 million in its first weekend in the United States, with an additional $86 million made worldwide. This breaks the previous Independence Day weekend record of $115.9 million set by Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011.
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Meanwhile, a new TikTok trend called ‘Gentleminions’ is reportedly causing cinemas to prohibit any group from attending Minions: The Rise of Gru in formal attire.
‘#Gentleminions’ trend
The trend, which has been recognized by the official Minions TikTok account, sees large crowds of mostly young men, all dressed in suits, gather to watch the new film in ironic appreciation. Universal Pictures also appreciated the trend.
However, this new trend is causing The Rise of Gru to be a huge success, having already set a 4th of July box office record with a $127.9 million opening weekend. If you search for ‘Gentleminions’ on TikTok or Twitter, you’ll see a slew of videos of people dressed up for the film.
Theatres to ban guests in formal attire
Although this appears to be done in a lighthearted manner, there have been reports that due to disruption during screenings, any groups arriving at certain cinemas wearing formal attire will not be allowed to see The Rise of Gru.
It’s difficult to say what the actual disruptions were. But there are videos on TikTok of groups moshing and throwing bananas at the screen while the movie was playing. Cinema employees complained on social media that the trend had gone too far after they had to clean up a massive mess left by a large crowd and heard noises outside the cinema.
A spokesperson from Odeon told indy100: “Due to a small number of incidents in our cinemas over the weekend we have had to restrict access in some circumstances.”
If you do intend to participate in the trend, please respect the cinema you will be visiting. While it may be entertaining for you and your friends to react loudly to a children’s movie, others prefer to watch a silent film.
Furthermore, the theater crew works tirelessly just to clean up after your mess. So, if you’re going to be a ‘Gentleminion,’ act like one by respecting the staff and other customers. If things get out of hand, don’t be surprised if your local cinema imposes a similar ban.
