The desire to see people get eaten by dinosaurs is universal, and as much as people expected Jurassic World to do well, not many expected it to do this well (many early predictions had it doing $120-150 million). Its $204.6 million domestic opening (all based on early estimates until actuals hit tomorrow afternoon) is the second biggest of all time behind Avengers’ $207 million in 2012, and was even ahead of Avengers: Age Of Ultron $191 million last month.
Including foreign numbers, Jurassic World earned $511.8 million, the biggest of all time and the first ever to make more than half a billion in a weekend (the last Harry Potter was closest – $494). I’d like to think Universal’s executive team are growling like raptors, jumping from desk to desk right now, while naked prostitutes giggle and pretend to hide behind conference chairs.
Things look rosy for the film in the future as well with an “A” Cinema Score, with audience attendance splitting up 52% Male and 48% female. 39% were under age 25 and 61% age 25 and over. Approximately 50% of the international box office came from 3D. [BoxOfficeMojo]
Additionally, the film broke IMAX records, bringing in more than $20.6 million on IMAX screens this weekend and breaking the previous domestic weekend opening set by The Dark Knight Rises ($19 million). [EntertainmentWeekly]
With all that money, maybe they can even use some of it to pay this kid to get a f*cking haircut.
Jurassic World was director Colin Trevorrow’s second film, a $150 million budgeted blockbuster he made when his only prior experience was Safety Not Guaranteed, an indie comedy that earned $4 million and whose widest release was 182 theaters. To give you an idea of how insane for him this is, I talked to someone who wanted Trevorrow to direct a sitcom pilot last year, but the network shot it down because they said Trevorrow had too little experience. Five days later, the news hit that he was directing Jurassic World.
Trevorrow apparently got the job when Brad Bird wanted to use him as a sort of apprentice director on Star Wars so that Bird could make that while also directing Tomorrowland. That didn’t work out, but the producers ended up watching Safety Not Guaranteed, then brought Trevorrow in to meet about Jurassic World. Trevorrow went on to direct Jurassic World, which just became one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. Brad Bird went on to direct Tomorrowland, the Summer’s biggest flop. Weird how things work out.
Next week brings us Dope, and Pixar’s Inside Out.