Sure, critics might be over it, but apparently, people just can’t get enough of giant prehistoric dinosaurs. The latest numbers indicate that no matter how many times the story is recycled, audiences will keep showing up.
Universal Pictures will easily notch another July 4th victory in the post-COVID era with “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” which is tracking toward a solid $30M on its opening Wednesday. That number places it just above the $27.2M start “Despicable Me 4” posted on the same weekday last year, a film that ultimately grossed $80M over its first weekend and $133M in five days.
Projections for ‘Rebirth’ point to a $77.5M three-day and $127.5M five-day haul. Within the ‘Jurassic’ franchise’s lineup of openings, ‘Rebirth’ ranks fourth-best for day-one earnings—a sign that while the audience may be cooling off, it’s far from extinct. The top three? 2015’s “Jurassic World” ($81.9M), 2022’s ‘Dominion’ ($59.5M), and 2018’s ‘Fallen Kingdom’ ($58.5M).
Despite the chorus of negative reviews, these opening day numbers make one thing clear: there’s still some juice left in the ‘Jurassic World’ franchise. While the buzz may have cooled compared to the peak of the series, the franchise’s loyal fanbase and the enduring appeal of dinosaur spectacle continue to pull audiences into theaters. ‘Jurassic World’ remains a bankable franchise.