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Sunday June 21, 2015

Pixar's Back, Baby, But It's Still Jurassic's World

Jurassic World gift shop

Please exit through the gift shop.

First some background: Only four movies have grossed more than $300 million domestically after 10 days of release. The first three are superhero movies, while the last (and biggest) is this weekend’s box-office winner:

“Jurassic World” fell off only 51% to take in $102 million in its second weekend. Now that it’s knocking on $400 million, where will it stop? Probably not before $600 million, which only three films have breached: “Avatar,” “Titanic,” “Avengers.” And might it hit the rare (just “Avatar”) $700 million mark?

Of course even then it wouldn’t match what “Jurassic Park” did in 1993—if you adjust for inflation. “Jurassic Park” is 16th all-time in that category with $746.4 million. Apparently we like our dinos.

Apparently we also like our Pixar. “Inside Out,” the new animated feature from writer-director Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Up”), finished second for the week with $91 million. That’s the second-best Pixar opening ever, after “Toy Story 3.”

We were hungry for good Pixar. Earlier this century we’d been spoiled. In the nine years between 2001 and 2009, Pixar released seven original (that is, non-sequel) films, most of which were not only superlative, they were among the best animated movies ever made:

  • 2001: “Monsters, Inc.”
  • 2003: “Finding Nemo”
  • 2004: “The Incredibles”
  • 2006: “Cars” (a misfire)
  • 2007: “Ratatouille”
  • 2008: “Wall-E”
  • 2009: “Up”

And since the move to Disney? We’ve gotten a great sequel (“Toy Story 3”), two lackluster sequels (“Cars 2” and “Monsters University”), and a so-so original (“Brave”). But everyone’s loving “Inside Out”: 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, raves from everyone I know.

Melissa McCarthy’s “Spy” keeps hanging on. It finished in third with $10 mil to bring the total up to $74. “San Andreas” shook out another $8 mil ($132 domestic, $414 worldwide), while the Sundance fave “Dope” opened in 2,000+ theaters and grossed $6 mil for fifth place.

Worldwide, “Jurassic World” is now at $981.3 million even as “Furious 7” and “Avengers/Ultron” have slowed to a crawl.

Posted at 11:03 AM on Sunday June 21, 2015 in category Movies - Box Office