Universal Pictures' amazing year keeps getting better and better. The venerable studio hasn't been at the top of the charts that often over the past decade, but started off 2015 with the blockbusters “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “Furious 7.” The latter shocked the industry by becoming the no. 3 highest grossing film worldwide of all-time after “Titanic” and “Avatar.” Based on the box office results of this past weekend it may soon have some major competition on that historic chart.
Final numbers are in and not only did “Jurassic World” win the three-day frame, but the Colin Trevorrow directed action flick became the no. 1 U.S. opener of all-time earning a massive $208.8 million. That surpasses the previous record holder, “Marvel's The Avengers,” which took in $207.4 million a little over three years ago. For context, many box office watchers thought the fourth installment in Steven Spielberg's “Jurassic” series would earn, at most, $140-150 million. Proving nostalgia, dinosaurs and Chris Pratt have international appeal, “Jurassic World” also set the largest global bow in history with a monstrous $524.4 million.
Along with “Pitch Perfect 2,” Universal Pictures now has four films that have earned over $100 million domestically so far this year and more hits appear to be on the horizon. “Ted 2” arrives on June 26 and is already tracking at a $50 million bow. “Minions” is the highly anticipated spin-off of the “Despicable Me” franchise which many believe could end up as the no. 1 movie of the summer. The studio also has the buzzworthy “Trainwreck” and “Straight Outta Compton” on tap.
The question now is just how much can “Jurassic World” earn with competition such as “Magic Mike XXL,” “Terminator: Genysis,” “Inside Out” and the aforementioned “Ted 2 “on deck.