‘Jurassic World’ scores biggest opening in history with $511 million

LOS ANGELES — Dinosaur action flick “Jurassic World” has set new marks in North America and around the world, stomping this weekend’s competition and old records with massive ticket sales.

“Jurassic World”, starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, took in $511 million in global revenue for the best opening weekend in history, scooping up $100 million of that from China.

Earning $208.8 million in its first weekend, the fourth iteration in the “Jurassic Park” series topped the “Avengers” 2012 record, according to final figures released Monday by Exhibitor Relations.

That haul easily beats the previous global record, for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”, from 2011 of $483 million.

The comic thriller returns to the famous dinosaur island, now converted to an amusement park, and follows a new hybrid experiment gone awry.

Steven Spielberg co-produced “Jurassic World”, returning to the series after directing the first two of the four films.

“This is absolutely a four-quadrant movie and is working on so many levels. The release date was awesome and everybody stayed off of our date,” The Hollywood Reporter quoted Universal domestic distribution chief Nick Carpou as saying.

In addition to Chris Pratt as chief dinosaur-keeper and Bryce Dallas Howard as the park’s overzealous marketing guru, the cast of the film includes a multi-ethnic array of actors.

‘Eating records’

Paul Dergarabedian, a media analyst at Rentrak, told AFP that “Jurassic World” benefited from something of a perfect box-office storm.

“Nostalgia, legacy, pedigree: Three things that can make a newly updated franchise a monster,” he said.

“There are many reasons ‘Jurassic World’ is eating box office records like a hungry Indominus Rex: the original ‘Jurassic Park’ was the second coming of ‘Jaws’ and was for many the film that defined in the psyche their personal definition of the summer movie experience.

“At the time 1993’s ‘Jurassic Park’ was released it was the first film to ever open with over $50 million and as such was seen and loved by a massive audience that were at once repelled and thrilled by its science-run-amok premise, its homage to the dinosaurs that everyone grew up learning about and were intrigued by in grade school.

“And not least of all, the collective movie theatre popcorn experience that the iconic superstar director Steven Spielberg delivered.” 

Universal Pictures had also been smart with its marketing of the film, he added, noting that broadcaster NBC in the US had been showing the original in the run-up to the latest release to drum up interest.

Comedy “Spy” took in $15.6 million in ticket sales on the weekend. The story follows a CIA analyst (Melissa McCarthy) who leaves a desk job to go deep undercover in a field assignment with global disaster in the balance.

Third place on the weekend charts went to California earthquake thriller “San Andreas”, taking in $10.8 million.

The film featuring Dwayne Johnson as a rescue pilot searching for his daughter topped box office sales two weekends ago when it took in $54.6 million.

The third instalment of the “Insidious” horror films, “Insidious: Chapter 3”, took fourth place on this weekend charts with $7.3 million in sales in its fourth week on the charts.

Hit musical film starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson “Pitch Perfect 2” took in $6.4 million for the fifth spot. The sequel follows the Barden Bellas singing team after a ban from the competitive circuit.

Hollywood male bonding comedy-drama “Entourage”, based on a HBO series of the same name, took in $4.2 million in box office sales in its second week on the charts.

Hit dystopian film “Mad Max: Fury Road” took in $4.1 million in ticket sales in its fifth week on the charts, bringing its total North American haul to $138.5 million. 

The high adrenaline sci-fi road battle movie stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.

Super hero film “Avengers: Age of Ultron” grabbed $3.7 million in ticket sales for the eighth spot in its seventh week on the charts.

Disney’s “Tomorrowland” starring George Clooney took in $3.5 million, while “Beach Boys” biopic “Love & Mercy” took in $1.7 million.