It’s interesting to note thatSteven Spielberg’sJurassic ParkandRoland Emmerich’sIndependence Dayessentially belong to the same era of blockbuster cinema. Both movies also delivered similar results at the box office, but whileJurassic Parkinspired six further sequels,Independence Dayspawned one, and even that didn’t work. Now, the Jurassic Park franchise’s seventh installment —Jurassic World Rebirth— has overtaken the originalIndependence Dayon the all-time domestic box office charts, having already soared past the $300 million mark.
While the movie will probably gross over $350 million when all is said and done, the chances of it hitting the $400 million mark are growing bleaker by the day.Rebirthhas been playing in theaters for nearly a month, and has nowgenerated $307 million domestically. This puts it ahead of the $305 million thatIndependence Dayconcluded its run with in 1996. Perhaps the mostmemorable alien invasion movieof the last few decades,Independence Daywas an instant success. In fact, it was the highest-grossing film of the year, and the second-biggest of all time, behind onlyJurassic Park.
The movie was also instrumental in the reemergence of the disaster genre, and in establishingWill Smithas a bona fide star. Produced on a reported budget of $75 million, itearned mixed reviews, and is currently sitting at a 68% score onRotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads, “The plot is thin and so is character development, but as a thrilling, spectacle-filled summer movie, Independence Day delivers.” Emmerich attempted to reboot the property with a sequel, titledIndependence Day: Resurgence. Released in 2016, the movie opened to poor reviews, and grossed only around $390 million worldwide, against a reported budget of $165 million. Emmerich later said that he shouldn’t have made the movie without Smith.
‘Rebirth’ Will Probably Fall Short of the $1 Billion Mark
Rebirthhas also been positioned as a reboot ofthe Jurassic Park franchise, which concluded a trilogy of hits in 2023. Each installment ofthe previous trilogy, starringChris PrattandBryce Dallas Howard, grossed over $1 billion worldwide.Rebirth, however, is currently sitting at under $750 million globally. It probably won’t be able to pass the coveted milestone, considering the competition and its impending streaming release. However, the movie has been successful enough for Universal to get started on the promised follow-ups. you may watchRebirthin theaters, or wait for it to hit home video in about a week. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Jurassic World Rebirth
