What's Inside?
- Jurassic World Rebirth beats projections with a $147.3M domestic debut, dominating Fourth of July box office across 4,308 theaters.
- Despite strong start, Rebirth posts weakest opening among latest Jurassic World films, trailing 2015's record-setting $208.8M launch.
- Mixed reviews haven’t hurt its momentum, with global projections suggesting the film could reach $600M–$770M by theatrical run's end.
In a summer dominated by high-octane blockbusters, Jurassic World Rebirth has made a powerful entrance at the box office, surprising industry insiders with a much stronger-than-expected debut. Launching over the Fourth of July weekend, the seventh installment in the beloved dinosaur saga amassed an impressive $147.3 million across its five-day domestic debut. Directed by Gareth Edwards and featuring a star-studded cast including Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and Rupert Friend, the film managed to outpace earlier projections and even dethroned Apple Studios’ F1 The Movie from the No. 1 spot.
What does Jurassic World Rebirth’s success mean for the future of dinosaur blockbusters?
Jurassic World Rebirth officially opened on Wednesday, strategically timed to coincide with the U.S. Independence Day holiday stretch. The strategy paid off in a big way, with the movie earning $91.5 million over the traditional three-day weekend and $147.3 million (Per Deadline) over five days. Initially predicted to earn around $81.7 million and $137.5 million for its three-day and five-day tallies, respectively, the film surged well past those estimates, according to Deadline. Variety confirmed that the movie played in 4,308 theaters across North America on a production budget of $180 million.
Perhaps more impressive than beating box office forecasts was its achievement of a historic milestone — the best single-day Fourth of July domestic gross of the 2020s. That puts it ahead of the recent July 4 hits like Despicable Me 4 ($20.3 million in 2024) and Minions: The Rise of Gru ($16 million in 2022). In other words, dinosaurs still know how to command attention, even in an era where franchises often struggle to remain relevant.
Despite the film’s financial success, not everything has been glowing. Jurassic World Rebirth has received mixed reviews from critics, earning a 51% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, though general audiences seem more favorable, awarding it a 72% score. The story picks up five years after Jurassic World Dominion and brings back screenwriter David Koepp, who penned the original Jurassic Park, to shape this new chapter of dino-drama.
How It Stacks Up Against Previous Jurassic Giants
Although Rebirth has impressed with its current performance, its numbers fall short when compared to its direct predecessors in the franchise. When Jurassic World premiered in 2015, it blew the roof off with a then-record-breaking $208.8 million opening weekend. Its sequels — Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Dominion (2022) — followed with strong debuts of $148 million and $145 million, respectively.
In contrast, Rebirth’s $91.5 million domestic take over three days appears modest, especially given the scale of its marketing and legacy. Over the same five-day release window, the earlier films earned significantly more: Jurassic World made $258 million, Fallen Kingdom grossed $181 million, and Dominion tallied $172 million.
Still, context matters. While the domestic numbers are lower, the international markets have always been the stronghold for the Jurassic brand. Previous entries earned more than half their box office overseas, and Rebirth is expected to follow a similar path. Early forecasts suggest that it could end its theatrical run with global earnings between $600 million and $770 million. With an estimated break-even point of around $450 million, Universal Pictures might still consider this a commercial win, especially if the next film in the series tightens its budget.
A Franchise With Teeth — And Staying Power
From the groundbreaking Jurassic Park in 1993 to the current generation of films, the franchise has evolved through reboots, sequels, and spin-offs while continuing to capture the public’s imagination. Steven Spielberg’s original vision, based on Michael Crichton’s novel, laid the foundation with its cutting-edge visual effects and thrilling premise. The franchise has since spawned merchandise, video games, theme park attractions, and animated content, amassing over $6 billion in global box office revenue.
While none of the sequels matched the original’s cultural impact, they have kept the franchise relevant and profitable. Before Rebirth, the six Jurassic films had collectively grossed around $6 billion worldwide (unadjusted for inflation), making it one of the most lucrative film series in history.
The question now is whether Scarlett Johansson‘s Jurassic World Rebirth can match the billion-dollar success of its immediate predecessors. Regardless of its final total, the movie proves there’s still plenty of life in the franchise — and plenty of roars left in its dinosaurs.
