After a weekend which saw Incredibles 2 score record-breaking numbers, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will keep the box office momentum going as the film will easily win the box office this weekend. Just don’t expect it to reach the record-breaking heights that its predecessor achieved.
The 2015 reboot of the franchise launched with $208.8 million during its opening weekend and surprised just about everyone in the industry as it broke opening weekend records (in just three short years the film now reps the fourth largest opening weekend of all-time). Moviegoers were clearly clamoring for a pure summer blockbuster and they got that with Jurassic World, which is arguably the best in the franchise since the groundbreaking 1993 film that started it all.
Other record-breaking openings since from films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, & Avengers: Infinity War, actually take a bit of the pressure off of Fallen Kingdom as it’s not expected to match what the 2015 film did at the box office. Had there been no other huge openings since Jurassic World broke out huge, all eyes would be on Fallen Kingdom but now the sequel just needs to open to respectable numbers.
Let’s start with the one thing working against the film: the reviews have been decidedly mixed. As of this writing, the film is 55% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes and some of the audience could stay away due to what will be perceived as a dip in quality (Jurassic World was fresh at 71%).
That being said, I think this one is a bit critic proof and it won’t really impact the numbers all that move. Most are just looking for a quick escape with film’s like this and the sequel is likely to provide that from those choosing to see it.
With a reported budget of $170 million, the film is already in great shape due to the insane numbers it has grossed overseas. The film has been open abroad for two weeks already and launches in 17 more territories this weekend which should its worldwide gross approaching $600 million by Sunday. The sequel is already bringing in crazy profit for the studio ahead of its stateside launch, which will begin with previews tonight.
The sequel, directed this time by The Impossible director J.A. Bayona, remains unopposed by any fresh wide release competition, however, it will share the marketplace with the second frame of Disney/Pixar’s Incredibles 2 which will also score very big with audiences this weekend after it’s record-breaking launch last weekend. It’s the second time that the dinosaurs have shared the top of the box office chart with a Pixar movie: During Jurassic World‘s second weekend in June 2015, Pixar’s Inside Out opened taking second place, with $90.4 million to the Dinos’ $106.6 million.
It’s going to be a big weekend for both films and I see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opening to about $145-150 million while Incredibles 2 will ease to $95-100 million for the weekend.
Check back Monday for the full box office results!
