BATTLE TO BE BOX OFFICE KING
Josh Brolin has gotten off to a great start, but Chris Pratt is just getting warmed up
The beginning of the summer movie season has been owned by Josh Brolin so far. But this month, another franchise-heavy actor might have something to say about that.
Brolin starred as the big baddie Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and as the anti-hero Cable in Deadpool 2 — meaning that his 2018 movies have already grossed a total of more than $2.4 billion worldwide (all figures U.S.) And his Sicario sequel, Day of the Soldado, is still due out June 29.
But Chris Pratt stole a few scenes of his own in Infinity War, including a crucial moment when his character Star-Lord’s hotheaded idiocy (spoiler!) thwarts the team’s defeat of Thanos (a blunder for which Pratt is newly on the semidefensive).
And now, Pratt returns with his other big franchise, starring in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. If the sequel, which opens June 22, can rival Pratt’s first Jurassic turn, then the Parks and Rec alum may yet be the box office king of the summer — potentially topping Paul Bettany ’s twin recent outings (Infinity War and Solo: A Star Wars Story, which grossed more than $2 billion combined), as well.
Three summers ago, Jurassic World grossed a surprisingly monstrous $1.67 billion worldwide. Early tracking points to Fallen Kingdom having a domestic debut of $140 million, and even bigger overseas receipts are likely.
So while Pratt and Brolin might be vying for this would-be summer title, Pratt has a real shot at becoming the season’s $4-billion man.