Jurassic World Rebirth Global Collection: Scarlett Johansson's film roars at the box office, tops charts internationally

While Jurassic World Rebirth may explore themes of dinosaur fatigue, cinema audiences appear far from tired of prehistoric thrills. The latest instalment in Universal Pictures’ blockbuster franchise roared to the top of the box office this weekend, securing a five-day global debut of $318.3 million, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, the film opened on Wednesday across 4,308 theatres in North America, earning $147.3 million in its domestic run over five days. Of that, an estimated $91.5 million came from the traditional three-day weekend spanning Friday to Sunday, which included the Fourth of July holiday.

Internationally, Rebirth was released in 82 markets, including China, where it made a significant impact with $41.5 million from 65,000 screens — 760 of which were IMAX. The film’s Chinese debut marks the country’s largest opening this year for a Motion Picture Association (MPA) release, contributing to a $171 million overseas total.

“This is just a tremendous result,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution. “Jurassic World Rebirth is exactly what audiences crave in the summer — a grand, exhilarating, and exceptionally crafted adventure.”

Despite missing out on IMAX screens in North America — due to ongoing showings of the Brad Pitt racing drama F1 — the film performed strongly in other premium formats. At Dolby Cinema alone, it grossed nearly $8 million from just 167 screens over five days.

The film, which reportedly cost $180 million to produce (excluding marketing), received a lukewarm critical reception, holding a 51% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a ‘B’ CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences. Yet studio executives were buoyed by broad audience turnout, ranging in age from eight to 80, and the fact that the film exceeded internal forecasts despite the mixed reviews.

Comparisons with earlier Jurassic World titles are complex, owing to factors such as inflation, shifting cinema-going habits post-pandemic, and the unique timing of the July 4th holiday. The franchise's 2015 debut earned $208 million domestically in its opening weekend, while follow-ups Fallen Kingdom and Dominion opened to $148 million and $145 million, respectively.

No major competing titles opened this weekend, allowing the dinosaurs to dominate. Last week’s box office leader, F1 The Movie, slipped to second place, earning $26.1 million in its second weekend — a 54% drop — bringing its domestic total to $109.5 million. It continues to play on IMAX screens, which contributed $7.6 million to its weekend earnings. The film’s global haul now stands at $293.6 million.

Third place went to Universal’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon, which grossed $11 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $224 million. Disney and Pixar’s Elio came in fourth with $5.7 million, and 28 Years Later rounded out the top five with $4.6 million.

A surprise entry into the top ten came from the 41st anniversary re-release of Rob Reiner’s cult classic This Is Spinal Tap, which grossed just under $1 million.

Industry analysts had speculated that a Friday holiday might dampen box office returns, but the fireworks failed to overshadow cinema earnings.

More about the film

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey, Rebirth is the fourth entry in the Jurassic World series and the seventh overall in the franchise, which began with Steven Spielberg’s 1993 adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. The new film reintroduces a fresh cast and brings back original screenwriter David Koepp, this time to explore a plot centred around the pursuit of dinosaur DNA — not to resurrect the creatures, but to combat heart disease.