Dinos soar at box office in ‘Dominion’ debut
Interest in “Jurassic World Dominion” was far from extinct, as the epic dinosaur movie dominated the domestic box office in its debut.
“Dominion” made an estimated $143.4 million at North American cinemas in its opening weekend, leading all films while grounding a two-week win streak by “Top Gun: Maverick.”
The latest “Jurassic” sequel enjoyed the second-biggest domestic opening of 2022, trailing only Marvel’s superhero sorcerer spectacular “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which conjured up $187 million during its first weekend last month.
Directed by Colin Trevorrow, “Dominion” (photo) is the third movie in the “Jurassic World” trilogy and the sixth film in the “Jurassic Park” franchise overall. “Dominion” centers on a world where dinosaurs must co-exist with humans after their island home was destroyed.
The film reunited actors Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum for their first movie together since 1993’s original “Jurassic Park.” Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, who play the main characters in the “Jurassic World” movies, also returned for “Dominion.”
“Jurassic World Dominion” has a 30% approval rating among critics included on the Rotten Tomatoes reviews website, but audiences saw it much more favorably with a 79% positive score.
The sequel’s numbers trail the first weekends of the franchise’s previous two films, as “Jurassic World” opened with $208 million in North America in 2015, and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” debuted with $148 million in 2018.
“Top Gun: Maverick,” which soared into theaters late last month, continues to fly high, adding an additional $50 million in its third weekend to finish second at the box office.
The action thriller — a long-awaited sequel to 1986’s classic “Top Gun” — has now made more than $393 million domestically and is closing in on “Doctor Strange” as the highest-grossing movie of 2022.
Tom Cruise returned to his role as the hotshot Navy pilot Maverick in the new “Top Gun.”
More high-profile movies are on the horizon, with the “Toy Story” spinoff “Lightyear,” about the space ranger that inspired the Buzz Lightyear action figure, coming out Friday.
The Baz Luhrmann-directed Elvis Presley biopic “Elvis” is out June 24, while Marvel’s “Thor: Love and Thunder,” starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson and Christian Bale, arrives July 8.