NEW YORK 鈥� The dinosaurs still rule the box office.
鈥淛urassic World: Fallen Kingdom鈥� surpassed expectations to open with $150 million in ticket sales in U.S. and sa国际传媒 theatres over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. While that total didn鈥檛 approach the record-breaking $208.8 million debut of 2015鈥檚 鈥淛urassic World,鈥� it proved the 25-year-old franchise still roars loudly among moviegoers.
It also gave Hollywood its first back-to-back $100 million-plus openings in a non-holiday period. After opening with $182.7 million last week, Pixar鈥檚 acclaimed sequel 鈥淚ncredibles 2鈥� slid 56 per cent in its second week, with an $80.9 million haul.
The combined firepower of 鈥淔allen Kingdom鈥� and 鈥淚ncredibles 2鈥� fueled $280 million in total ticket sales, making it Hollywood鈥檚 fourth-biggest overall weekend ever, not accounting for inflation. Business was roughly double what it was the same June weekend last year, according to comScore.
鈥淭he normal course of box office is that the two films would cannibalize each other鈥檚 box office in some way,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. 鈥淭his weekend proves that if you have two incredibly appealing movies in the marketplace at the same time, the marketplace will expand. The year-to-date box office jumped 2.5 per cent in one weekend, from 6 per cent to 8.5 per cent.鈥�
鈥淛urassic World: Fallen Kingdom鈥� has already tallied hundreds of millions in overseas ticket sales over the past two weeks. Its worldwide total already stands at $711.5 million.
The film, starring Chris Pratt and Dallas Bryce Howard, moves the action away from an isolated tropical island. In 鈥淔allen Kingdom,鈥� directed by J.A. Bayona, the dinosaurs are again threatened with extinction because of a soon-to-explode volcano. But they are trapped by a band of mercenaries, a plot intended to mirror real-life animal poaching .
Like 2015鈥檚 鈥淛urassic World,鈥� 鈥滷allen Kingdom鈥� was able to shrug off mediocre reviews 鈥� something that many other franchises have struggled to do lately. It sits at just 50 per cent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes but received an A-minus CinemaScore from audiences.
Universal Pictures, which is planning a third 鈥淛urassic World鈥� film, heavily promoted the $170 million production. Drawing audiences equally young and old, male and female, and from a diverse array of ethnicities, 鈥淔allen Kingdom鈥� played like a classic crowd-pleaser.
鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing exit polls that indicate all quadrants came out to see this movie,鈥� said Jim Orr, Universal鈥檚 distribution chief. 鈥淭he majority of the audience was under 25. Obviously, we鈥檙e playing very broadly, and to families overall, and so thus the result at the very high end of our expectations.鈥�
The domestic opening is the second-best for the 106-year-old Universal. It only follows 鈥淛urassic World,鈥� which went on to make nearly $1.7 billion for the studio.
After notching the biggest opening ever for an animated release last weekend, Brad Bird鈥檚 鈥淚ncredibles 2鈥� held on strongly considering the family-film competition. Its global gross is now up to $485 million, including a $21.2 million debut in China, a Pixar best.
The female-fronted heist film 鈥淥cean鈥檚 8,鈥� starring Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, crossed $100 million domestically, with $11.7 million in its third week. Thanks to drive-in double-features with 鈥淚ncredibles 2,鈥� Ava DuVernay鈥檚 鈥淎 Wrinkle in Time鈥� also cleared the $100 million milestone, a first for a black female director.
The Fred Rogers documentary 鈥淲on鈥檛 You Be My Neighbour鈥� became the summer鈥檚 second documentary to crack the top 10. Following the Ruth Bader Ginsberg documentary 鈥淩BG,鈥� Morgan Neville鈥檚 hit documentary on the man behind 鈥淢ister Rogers鈥� Neighborhood鈥� grossed $1.9 million on 348 screens.
Sony Pictures Classics鈥� 鈥淏oundaries,鈥� a father-daughter road trip starring Vera Farmiga and Christopher Plummer, made a muted debut with $29,000 from five theatres.
Peter Fonda, who plays a supporting role in the film, on Wednesday apologized for a tweet in which he suggested 12-year-old Barron Trump, son of President Donald Trump, should be ripped from 鈥渉is mother鈥檚 arms and put in a cage with pedophiles鈥� as payback for the policy of separating children from their parents at the Mexican border.
Donald Trump Jr. criticized Sony Pictures Classics for releasing the film. In response, the specialty distributor condemned Fonda鈥檚 words as 鈥渁bhorrent and reckless鈥� but said it would go ahead with the film鈥檚 planned limited release.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday also are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淛urassic World: Fallen Kingdom,鈥� $150 million ($106.7 million international).
2. 鈥淚ncredibles 2,鈥� $80.9 million ($56.8 million international).
3. 鈥淥cean鈥檚 8,鈥� $11.7 million ($26.9 million international).
4. 鈥淭ag,鈥� $8.2 million.
5. 鈥淪olo: A Star Wars Story,鈥� $4 million ($2.6 million international).
6. 鈥淒eadpool 2,鈥� $5.3 million ($5.3 million international).
7. 鈥淗ereditary,鈥� $3.8 million ($3.8 million international).
8. 鈥淪uperfly,鈥� $3.4 million.
9. 鈥淎vengers: Infinity War,鈥� $2.5 million ($1.4 million international).
10. 鈥淲on鈥檛 You Be My Neighbour,鈥� $1.9 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and sa国际传媒), according to comScore:
1. 鈥淛urassic World: Fallen Kingdom,鈥� $106.7 million.
2. 鈥淚ncredibles 2,鈥� $56.8 million.
3. 鈥淥cean鈥檚 8,鈥� $26.9 million.
4. 鈥淟obster Cop,鈥� $6.7 million
5. 鈥淒eadpool 2,鈥� $5.3 million.
6. 鈥淭he Accidental Detective 2,鈥� $5.3 million.
7. 鈥淗ereditary,鈥� $3.8 million.
8. 鈥淭he Way of the Bug,鈥� $3.6 million.
9. 鈥淪olo: A Star Wars Story,鈥� $2.6 million.
10. 鈥淎 Quiet Place,鈥� $1.7 million.
