‘Jurassic World’ ends box office winning streak of ‘Top Gun’

“Jurassic World Dominion,” the sixth film in the franchise about dinosaurs that escape from an amusement park, fought off weak reviews to lead the North American box office, snatching the crown from “Top Gun: Maverick.”

The film from Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures film made $143 million in its domestic weekend opening, across 4,676 theaters, according to an estimate Sunday from Comscore Inc. That makes it the second-largest opening of 2022, behind Walt Disney Co.’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Boxoffice Pro was forecasting $137 million to $167 million.

“Jurassic World Dominion” picks up a storyline first created in the classic 1993 Steven Spielberg movie “Jurassic Park.” It is the third movie in the franchise to star Chris Pratt, a scientist who is navigating the challenges of a world in which dinosaurs live among humans. Some of the actors from the original film, including Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, reprise their roles.

The movie had a poor critical reception, scoring recommendations from only 33% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, movies with familiar stories and spectacular visuals consistently overcome bad reviews to generate strong ticket sales. The film’s 2018 predecessor, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” had a 47% Rotten Tomatoes rating and made $148 million in its domestic debut.

“Top Gun: Maverick,” from Paramount Global and Skydance Media, continued to generate strong ticket sales, taking home $50 million in its third weekend, Comscore estimated. The week-to-week drop in sales has been smaller than usual, with some older fans who hadn’t yet returned to theaters since the start of the pandemic motivated to see Tom Cruise fly fighter jets.

“Jurassic World” is the latest in a series of regularly scheduled big-budget releases on tap as more fans show they’re willing return to theaters. Next week it will be up against the family friendly “Toy Story” spinoff “Lightyear.” The film from Walt Disney Co.’s Pixar division is based on the character Buzz Lightyear in “Toy Story.”