‘Jurassic World’ roars to $932 million at box office

LOS ANGELES - The “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” dinosaurs ruled the box office for a second weekend in a row, but also left a little room for more modest newcomers like “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and the basketball comedy “Uncle Drew” to over-perform in the crowded marketplace.

Studios on Sunday estimate that the blockbuster sequel to “Jurassic World” earned an additional $60 million in its second weekend in North American theaters, bringing its domestic total to $264.8 million. The dinosaurs didn’t gobble up all the attention this weekend, however. “Incredibles 2,” now in its third weekend in theaters, took second place with $45.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $439.7 million.

North American audiences came out in larger than expected numbers for both the action thriller “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and “Uncle Drew.”

The “Sicario” sequel starring Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro earned $19 million to take third place. The film, distributed by Sony Pictures, cost a reported $35 to $40 million to produce.

Landing in fourth place was the basketball comedy “Uncle Drew,” which features NBA All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Shaquille O’Neal. With a production price tag under $20 million, the film exceeded expectations, grossing $15.5 million, and got the audience stamp of approval with an A CinemaScore.

The ad and marketing campaign included spots during the NBA playoffs and finals, a Wheaties box featuring Irving as Uncle Drew, and an Uncle Drew capsule collection from Nike.

Lionsgate, which distributed the movie, knew the film had built-in marketability because of the celebrity of the stars, but was also pleased to discover that the film in early screenings appealed to non-basketball fans too.

The A CinemaScore, which suggests that the film will have good word-of-mouth buzz, could bode well for the film over the Fourth of July holiday and into the rest of the summer.

“We’re hoping it’s the old adage, ‘It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,’” Spitz said.

AP