Essential Box Office: Jurassic Rebirth Roars Past Projections

The summer movie season is officially roaring! A powerful Fourth of July holiday weekend saw massive blockbusters dominate the box office charts, led by the much-anticipated return of prehistoric creatures and high-octane racecars. Studios are celebrating significant wins as audiences flocked to theaters, signaling robust health for the theatrical market during this key period.

jurassic World Rebirth Unleashes Monumental Opening

Universal Pictures’ latest prehistoric epic, “Jurassic World Rebirth,” stormed the box office this past weekend, delivering a T-Rex-sized performance that exceeded initial expectations. The seventh film in the iconic dinosaur franchise, envisioned as a new era, kicked off the holiday frame with an impressive $26 million domestically on Friday, July 5th, playing in over 6,100 venues.

This strong Friday built upon solid previews and early showings since the film’s debut on Wednesday, July 2nd, which had already accumulated $55.8 million before the weekend even began. By Sunday, industry estimates placed the film’s total five-day domestic haul at a formidable $141.2 million. Looking specifically at the traditional Friday-to-Sunday three-day frame, the movie brought in an estimated $85.4 million.

These figures not only placed “Rebirth” firmly atop the weekend charts but also secured its place in the record books. Its five-day total ranks as the fifth-best performance ever for the competitive Fourth of July holiday corridor. Furthermore, the three-day estimate positions it as the fourth-largest domestic opening weekend of 2025 to date.

Despite these impressive numbers, “Rebirth” notably marks the lowest opening weekend within the “Jurassic World” trilogy era (starting with the 2015 film). The original “Jurassic World” debuted with a colossal $208.8 million in its first three days, followed by “Fallen Kingdom” at $148 million and “Dominion” at $145 million (figures are unadjusted for inflation). It’s crucial to remember that those films achieved their totals over standard three-day weekends, whereas “Rebirth” benefited from an extended five-day holiday launch window, making direct comparisons complex but still highlighting a shift in initial turnout compared to its immediate predecessors.

Global Dominance and Financial Stakes

While its domestic opening weekend pace trails previous installments, “Jurassic World Rebirth” is proving to be a global juggernaut. The film earned an estimated $171.3 million from international markets over its opening frame. This pushed the estimated worldwide debut total to an staggering $312.5 million.

This global start is particularly significant. It ranks as the second-best opening in the entire “Jurassic” franchise history worldwide, trailing only the peak performance of previous entries. It also stands as the second-highest global opening weekend of 2025 so far, surpassed only by “A Minecraft Movie.”

The film’s success is vital for Universal. With a reported production budget around $180 million before marketing expenses, the studio needs sustained momentum in the coming weeks to ensure profitability. The robust global launch and strong domestic holiday start provide an excellent foundation, surpassing earlier industry forecasts that predicted a domestic opening in the $100 million to $120 million range and a global debut around $260 million. The enduring power of the “Jurassic” brand, showcasing dinosaurs on the big screen, clearly continues to be a major draw, helping the film succeed despite mixed reviews.

A New Creative Direction for the Franchise

“Jurassic World Rebirth” represents a conscious creative shift following the conclusion of the prior trilogy. Director Gareth Edwards, known for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” took the helm, working from a script penned by David Koepp, the acclaimed screenwriter behind the original 1993 “Jurassic Park.”

The film introduces an entirely new core cast led by Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey. They are joined by Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, and Audrina Miranda. The plot centers on an extraction team dispatched to a research facility on the original “Jurassic Park” island, where they encounter a shipwrecked family and face off against dangerous creatures left behind. Longtime franchise producers Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley returned, with Steven Spielberg and Denis Stewart serving as executive producers, aiming to launch a fresh narrative chapter while honoring the series’ legacy.

Reception: Audiences vs. Critics

Initial reception for “Jurassic World Rebirth” presents a familiar split seen in many blockbusters. Audiences polled by CinemaScore awarded the film a solid “B” grade, indicating general satisfaction among moviegoers who saw it this weekend. Critics, however, were less enthused. The film currently holds a “Rotten” score of 51% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting a divide between professional reviewers and the general public’s experience. This divergence is not uncommon for effects-heavy franchise entries but highlights the power of brand recognition and spectacle in driving box office results even without universal critical acclaim.

F1 Races Towards a Milestone as Other Films Hold Strong

While dinosaurs ruled the top spot, another major film featuring high-speed thrills held strong in second place. Brad Pitt’s international racing drama “F1,” directed by Joseph Kosinski, earned an estimated $7 million on Friday. This performance reflects a significant projected drop of around 72% from its opening weekend but still places it as a key player during the competitive holiday frame.

“F1” is proving particularly popular in premium large formats like IMAX and Dolby Cinema. The film is projected to add approximately $24 million over the full weekend. This brings its estimated domestic total by Sunday past the $107 million mark. This performance is a notable success for Apple Studios, marking their first significant blockbuster win after previous commercial challenges with titles like “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Argylle.” The movie stars Damson Idris as an up-and-coming driver paired with Pitt’s seasoned mentor/teammate.

The Rest of the Top 5 Round-Up

Rounding out the top five, several other films showed resilience and reached significant milestones:

How to Train Your Dragon: Universal’s live-action remake secured the third position on Friday with an estimated $2.8 million. Projecting a 50% drop from its prior weekend, the film is set to earn around $9.7 million over its fourth frame. This boosts its estimated total domestic gross by Sunday to a substantial $222 million, cementing its position as the fourth highest-grossing film of 2025 domestically, having recently surpassed “Captain America: Brave New World.” Dean DeBlois, who directed the acclaimed 2014 animated original, returned for this live-action version and is slated to direct the recently announced sequel targeting a Summer 2027 release.
Elio: Disney and Pixar’s animated feature landed in fourth place. It grossed an estimated $1.5 million on Friday, representing about a 53% drop. The film, about a lonely boy connecting with aliens, carries the unfortunate distinction of having the lowest opening weekend of any Pixar film to date. By Sunday, its estimated total domestic gross is projected to reach approximately $54 million.
28 Years Later: Sony’s launch of a new trilogy in the zombie saga, directed by Danny Boyle, took the fifth spot. It earned an estimated $1.15 million on Friday. The first installment is projected to reach a domestic total of roughly $60 million by the close of its third weekend. A follow-up, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” directed by Nia DaCosta, is already completed and planned for a January release. The future of the third film in the trilogy reportedly hinges on the box office performance of the first two or potentially financing from Boyle himself, a possibility he has openly discussed.

The Fourth of July weekend delivered a strong box office performance, driven primarily by the massive debut of “Jurassic World Rebirth.” While the dinosaur epic posted a lower opening weekend than its immediate predecessors within the “Jurassic World” series, its robust five-day holiday total and powerful global launch signal a healthy start for the franchise’s new era and the summer movie season as a whole. The sustained performance of films like “F1” and “How to Train Your Dragon” also contributed to a vibrant marketplace, setting a positive tone for the remainder of the summer slate.

“Rebirth” recorded the lowest opening weekend* of any film in the “Jurassic World” trilogy era, which began in 2015. Previous installments had three-day openings ranging from $145 million to over $208 million. However, “Rebirth” achieved the second-best global opening weekend for the entire franchise historically, demonstrating very strong international performance alongside its significant domestic holiday debut.

Which other films performed well at the holiday box office?

Several other movies posted strong numbers alongside “Jurassic World Rebirth.” Brad Pitt’s racing drama “F1” held second place, projected to reach over $107 million domestically by Sunday. Universal’s live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” was third, surpassing $220 million total and becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 2025. Disney/Pixar’s “Elio” and Sony’s “28 Years Later” rounded out the top five, despite “Elio” having the lowest-ever Pixar opening.

References

1. variety.com
2. <a href="https://m.imdb.com/news/ni65365992/?ref=nwcart_perm”>m.imdb.com
3. www.hollywoodreporter.com
4. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/it/news/ni65365983/?ref=ttnwr_2″>www.imdb.com
5. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/de/news/ni65365992/?ref=nwcart_perm”>www.imdb.com