‘Jurassic World Dominion’ Follows Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ With Strong Opening Weekend

The trio of films mark the first time since the pandemic that three movies in simultaneous release have a shot at crossing the $1 billion mark world-wide.

Having a movie marketplace with three heavyweight titles drawing in audiences is welcome news to exhibitors and studios, which until now have worried that the postpandemic box office would adopt a “have’s and have-not’s” dynamic where only one major release would draw in audiences at a time. It also lends credence to corners of Hollywood eager to reinvest in theatrical releases at a time when Wall Street’s enthusiasm for streaming strategies has cooled considerably.

Every studio has major releases scheduled for this summer—from “Lightyear” to “Elvis” and “Nope”—that will rely on audiences continuing to show up here and abroad despite inflationary pressures. Entertainment-industry executives say they hope moviegoers join concertgoers and travelers in spending more as Covid-19 cases abate.

“Jurassic World” drew in a broad array of moviegoers, with a particularly strong showing among Hispanic viewers. The third in the franchise reboot, “Jurassic World Dominion” opened slightly behind its immediate predecessor, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” which collected $148 million when it came out in 2018. Both movies have failed to hit the stratospheric heights of the original “Jurassic World,” which gave

Comcast Corp.’s

CMCSA -1.30%

Universal Pictures a powerful new franchise when it made its debut to $208 million in 2015 and went on to gross $1.6 billion around the world.

The story of regenerated, carnivorous dinosaurs and the paleontologists trying to wrangle them is one of the most enduring properties of the 1990s, since

Steven Spielberg

adapted the original “Jurassic Park” from Michael Crichton’s bestselling book. The original film was one of the highest-grossing movies of the decade, spawning sequels, toys and theme-park attractions that minted money for Universal and Mr. Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Entertainment, forming a franchise template other studios would emulate.

This latest iteration, “Jurassic World Dominion,” follows a playbook similar to other revived franchises and brings back the original stars of the first film: Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum. “Top Gun: Maverick”—with its original star,

Tom Cruise

—continued to show considerable staying power in second place. Its three-week total is $393 million.

Reviews of the new “Jurassic World” movie were withering, but opening-weekend audiences gave it an “A-” grade, according to the CinemaScore market research firm.

“We’ve had very broad, very enthusiastic audiences,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution.

All three movies atop the box office have been a particular boon to premium-format auditoriums like those operated by

IMAX Corp.

, which chief executive

Richard Gelfond

said has logged a healthier May and June this year than during those same months in 2019.

“When movies were coming back, the narrative was to try and find flaws in the story,” he said, attributing success to Marvel Studios’ exceptionalism or a dearth of options on the marquee. “This is the second non-superhero movie in a row” to pull in a blockbuster opening, he added.

Notably, “Jurassic World Dominion” opened to a healthy $52.5 million in China, where authorities have theaters operating at reduced capacity as they manage Covid-19 cases.

“Jurassic World” is the first major Hollywood release in recent months to be approved for release by Chinese Communist Party authorities—“Top Gun” and “Doctor Strange” were not—and the healthiest opening there for an American title since “F9: The Fast Saga” in 2021.

“It’s not like a light switch, but it’s a good data point directionally,” said Mr. Gelfond.

Write to Erich Schwartzel at erich.schwartzel@wsj.com

The trio of films mark the first time since the pandemic that three movies in simultaneous release have a shot at crossing the $1 billion mark world-wide.

Having a movie marketplace with three heavyweight titles drawing in audiences is welcome news to exhibitors and studios, which until now have worried that the postpandemic box office would adopt a “have’s and have-not’s” dynamic where only one major release would draw in audiences at a time. It also lends credence to corners of Hollywood eager to reinvest in theatrical releases at a time when Wall Street’s enthusiasm for streaming strategies has cooled considerably.

Every studio has major releases scheduled for this summer—from “Lightyear” to “Elvis” and “Nope”—that will rely on audiences continuing to show up here and abroad despite inflationary pressures. Entertainment-industry executives say they hope moviegoers join concertgoers and travelers in spending more as Covid-19 cases abate.

“Jurassic World” drew in a broad array of moviegoers, with a particularly strong showing among Hispanic viewers. The third in the franchise reboot, “Jurassic World Dominion” opened slightly behind its immediate predecessor, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” which collected $148 million when it came out in 2018. Both movies have failed to hit the stratospheric heights of the original “Jurassic World,” which gave

Comcast Corp.’s

CMCSA -1.30%

Universal Pictures a powerful new franchise when it made its debut to $208 million in 2015 and went on to gross $1.6 billion around the world.

The story of regenerated, carnivorous dinosaurs and the paleontologists trying to wrangle them is one of the most enduring properties of the 1990s, since

Steven Spielberg

adapted the original “Jurassic Park” from Michael Crichton’s bestselling book. The original film was one of the highest-grossing movies of the decade, spawning sequels, toys and theme-park attractions that minted money for Universal and Mr. Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Entertainment, forming a franchise template other studios would emulate.

This latest iteration, “Jurassic World Dominion,” follows a playbook similar to other revived franchises and brings back the original stars of the first film: Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum. “Top Gun: Maverick”—with its original star,

Tom Cruise

—continued to show considerable staying power in second place. Its three-week total is $393 million.

Reviews of the new “Jurassic World” movie were withering, but opening-weekend audiences gave it an “A-” grade, according to the CinemaScore market research firm.

“We’ve had very broad, very enthusiastic audiences,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution.

All three movies atop the box office have been a particular boon to premium-format auditoriums like those operated by

IMAX Corp.

, which chief executive

Richard Gelfond

said has logged a healthier May and June this year than during those same months in 2019.

“When movies were coming back, the narrative was to try and find flaws in the story,” he said, attributing success to Marvel Studios’ exceptionalism or a dearth of options on the marquee. “This is the second non-superhero movie in a row” to pull in a blockbuster opening, he added.

Notably, “Jurassic World Dominion” opened to a healthy $52.5 million in China, where authorities have theaters operating at reduced capacity as they manage Covid-19 cases.

“Jurassic World” is the first major Hollywood release in recent months to be approved for release by Chinese Communist Party authorities—“Top Gun” and “Doctor Strange” were not—and the healthiest opening there for an American title since “F9: The Fast Saga” in 2021.

“It’s not like a light switch, but it’s a good data point directionally,” said Mr. Gelfond.

Write to Erich Schwartzel at erich.schwartzel@wsj.com