Jurassic World Rebirth exceeded expectations at the global box office this past weekend with a $323 million haul. Similar to its predecessors, the movie benefited greatly from strong walk-up ticket sales, a surprise, seeing as reviews were mostly mixed, if not outright negative.
According to The Wrap, "A still-strong performance by 'Jurassic World Rebirth' could chip into 'Superman' at a time when comic book films have been on a slump." The DC Studios reboot opens in theaters this weekend, though Amazon Prime preview screenings take place in the U.S. this evening.
While today's social media reactions and reviews will have an impact on Superman's opening weekend, the trade explains, "Tracking hasn't changed from the wide range first offered nearly three weeks ago, with NRG offering the most optimistic range at an opening of $125 million to $145 million."
You'll recall that the pessimistic range pegged Superman as having a $90 million opening, a figure that doesn't seem remotely likely given the positive buzz surrounding the movie.
Analysts expect Superman to face tough competition from Jurassic World Rebirth, but plenty is going in the hero's favour as BoxOfficePro's Danie Loria explains. "'Jurassic' has established itself with moviegoers as reliable popcorn entertainment, and 'Superman' is a superhero film about the most recognisable superhero of all time. He's not Blue Beetle. He's not even Captain America."
"The one big advantage that 'Jurassic World' has is that people know what it is. It is more of what they've always gotten from this franchise," Loria continues. "The strong marketing for 'Superman' has given the public an idea of James Gunn’s take on the character, but we don't know yet if it is going to be more family-driven or fan-driven."
The trade expects reviews to be crucial for Superman. After analysing previous movies, the site concluded that, whatever happens, Jurassic World Rebirth is likely to perform stronger in Asia. The Man of Tomorrow, however, will have the edge in Europe and Latin America. In other words, it's going to be a close battle.
If The Fantastic Four: First Steps underperforms like Thunderbolts*, then Jurassic World Rebirth could "[beat] the odds" and reach $1 billion. Alternatively, it's still eyeing an impressive $800 million haul.
It's too soon to say where Superman will ultimately land. Still, if those reviews are as positive as the social media reactions, the latest Jurassic movie's $1 billion hopes are facing extinction.
Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025. Let us know your opening weekend predictions in the comments section below.