This past weekend, dinosaurs once again took center stage at the box office as “Jurassic World Rebirth” made a remarkable debut, raking in $147.3 million domestically over the five-day Fourth of July holiday period. This strong opening has ignited hopes among industry insiders for a prosperous month ahead in movie theaters.

The holiday earnings for “Jurassic World Rebirth” in the United States and Canada significantly surpassed initial forecasts. Projections from analysts and studio insiders had predicted a gross between $120 million and $130 million for the long opening weekend, making the actual figures all the more impressive.

In a display of dominance, “Rebirth” managed to outpace Apple’s racing film “F1 The Movie”, which secured the second spot at the box office with $26.1 million domestically. This brings the racing film's total earnings in North America to just over $109.5 million, as reported by its distributor, Warner Bros.

Looking back, “Jurassic World: Dominion”, the predecessor to “Rebirth”, opened with $145 million in its first three days and went on to gross a staggering $1 billion globally. The latest installment, “Rebirth”, comes with a hefty estimated production budget of $180 million, excluding marketing expenses.

Big-budget creature features have a proven appeal worldwide, and “Rebirth” is no exception. It debuted in a staggering 82 international markets, bringing in an additional $171 million internationally, including $41.5 million from China. This performance highlights Hollywood’s continued success in the Chinese market, despite the growing prevalence of local productions.

When combining the domestic and international figures, “Rebirth” achieved a remarkable global opening total of $318.3 million.

The film, directed by Gareth Edwards—renowned for works like “Rogue One” and “The Creator”—features performances from acclaimed actors Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali. However, it has received lukewarm responses from critics, earning a 52% approval rating on the popular review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

The “Jurassic” franchise, which began with the groundbreaking “Jurassic Park” in 1993, has evolved into a cultural phenomenon over the decades. The original film, based on Michael Crichton's novel, captivated audiences with its groundbreaking blend of practical effects and CGI that brought dinosaurs to life in a way never seen before. This initial success led to multiple sequels, a plethora of merchandise, theme park attractions, animated series, and video games.

While the sequels, starting with “The Lost World”, often fell short of the original's acclaim, they continued to generate substantial revenue for Universal Pictures and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. Prior to “Rebirth”, the “Jurassic” films have collectively amassed nearly $6 billion worldwide, excluding inflation adjustments. Notably, the original “Jurassic Park” alone grossed $978 million globally, which translates to around $1.86 billion today.

Interestingly, “Jurassic World Rebirth” was unable to secure a spot in IMAX theaters, as those slots were filled by “F1”. The following week, valuable IMAX real estate will be occupied by Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ “Superman”. Films shown in IMAX often enjoy higher box office returns, attributable to the elevated ticket prices and the perception of these screenings as must-see events.

“Jurassic World” is the first of three major tentpole films set to release this month, with “Superman” and Walt Disney Co. and Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” expected to follow suit shortly. July has historically been a robust month for box office sales, creating heightened expectations for these upcoming films.

Despite a surge in box office sales during April and May, the film industry faced challenges in June, with several films—such as Lionsgate’s “Ballerina”, Sony’s “Karate Kid: Legends”, and Disney and Pixar’s “Elio”—underperforming. The theatrical business in June was reported to be 25% lower compared to the pre-pandemic averages of June in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and down 5.3% from last June, which boasted big hits like “Inside Out 2” and “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”.

Shawn Robbins, founder of Box Office Theory, remarked, “We see this ebb and flow. These next four to five weeks will certainly give us a sense of how to grade the summer overall.”