Jurassic Park's 30th Anniversary Box Office Take Proves People Still Love Spielberg's Dinos
Despite the fact that "Jurassic Park" came out more than 30 years ago, Steven Spielberg's modern classic has once again proved itself an enduring staple in popular culture. Even though it was late for the official anniversary, Universal Pictures re-released the 1993 blockbuster in theaters this past weekend, specifically in 3D, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the film's original release. Even though it wasn't a smashing success, it was still decent money in the bank for Spielberg and the studio.
"Jurassic Park" earned $1.7 million over the weekend, largely from showings at big theater chains such as AMC and Regal, per The Numbers. The movie played on just over 1,200 screens and placed 14th on the charts. Even though it didn't crack the top 10, it still managed to have a better per-screen average ($1,391) than some of this summer's big, recent releases such as Disney's "Haunted Mansion" ($1,219) and "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning" ($1,226).
The dino-filled blockbuster originally hit theaters in June of 1993 and went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time up to that point in its original run, taking in $978.1 million. Through its various re-releases over the years, including the particularly successful 3D re-release for its 20th anniversary in 2013, the movie's running total now stands at $1.057 billion.
Life finds a way
A movie grossing less than $2 million isn't going to light up Hollywood's radar or anything, but it certainly doesn't hurt. Universal gets a little bit of money, and movie theaters got to put some extra meat in seats thanks to a tried-and-true classic. More than anything, it's a reminder that audiences truly still do love this movie, suggesting that, for many, it stands the test of time even against modern scrutiny. Given that I personally count it as my favorite movie of all time, I'll refrain from much commentary here, but this does my heart good, that's for sure.
In the three decades since "Jurassic Park" was released, Universal has turned it into a massively successful franchise that has generated more than $6 billion at the global box office across six films. 2015's "Jurassic World" ($1.67 billion worldwide) remains one of the highest-grossing movies ever released. Even last year's "Jurassic World Dominion," which was not nearly as well received by audiences or critics, managed to top $1 billion globally. People love this world, and that all starts with Spielberg's groundbreaking interpretation of Michael Crichton's novel.
As for the future? Producer Frank Marshall indicated to /Film last year that "Dominion" wasn't going to be the end of the franchise, merely the end of that trilogy. That said, as of right now, Universal hasn't announced anything officially. But this past weekend's box office will probably suggest to the brass at the studio that trying to milk this cash cow further is worth doing. Life finds a way, as it were.