Some box office analysts wondered if “Incredibles 2” would slow down “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” in its opening weekend. The answer is a clear no.
Universal’s tentpole blockbuster is stomping towards an estimated $144 million launch from 4,475 screens after making $56.8 million on its opening weekend.
Without the novelty of being the first “Jurassic” film in over a decade, “Fallen Kingdom” was never expected to match the $208 million opening of the first “Jurassic World” from 2015. But the sequel is still performing to Universal and analysts’ most optimistic projections, as a $144 million start would be roughly just 31 percent down from its predecessor’s opening.
With $466 million already grossed from Universal’s two-weekend overseas rollout, “Fallen Kingdom” is now a lock to join the $1 billion club. The global excitement has come despite tepid reviews from critics, who have given the film a 50 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, on the other hand, have given it an A- on CinemaScore.
“Incredibles 2,” meanwhile, has not proven itself to be the competitor to “Jurassic World” that some box office observers — including this one — thought it might be. But with a $24 million second Friday for “I2″and an estimated $79 million weekend, Disney won’t complain. That figure would put the sequel’s drop-off from its record $182.7 million opening at 57 percent, putting its 10-day total at the doorstep of $350 million.
This is the first time ever that the box office has seen $100 million-plus openings on two consecutive non-holiday weekends. The only two other times that happened — this year and in 2007 — the second opening fell on Memorial Day weekend.
Outside of the two big sequels on tap this weekend, WB/Village Roadshow’s “Ocean’s 8” will hit the $100 million mark in its third weekend with a weekend total of $11-12 million. The New Line comedy “Tag” is in fourth with an estimated $7.7 million opening, which would put its 10-day total at $30 million.
Finally, “Deadpool 2” adds $5.2 million in its sixth weekend and becomes just the fifth R-rated film to gross $300 million domestically, while “Solo: A Star Wars Story” will roll past $200 million in its fifth weekend with $4.3 million.