Universal’s dinosaur playground is eating good in China, crushing expectations with a massive RMB184.8 million ($25.7 million USD) opening weekend that has left competing blockbusters scrambling for cover. The latest installment in the prehistoric franchise—Jurassic World: Rebirth—didn’t just debut at No. 1—it absolutely dominated the landscape with the biggest 3-day opening for any Hollywood film in China this year.
The film’s monstrous debut outmuscled Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible 8, which opened to $20 million earlier this year. That’s right, dinosaurs officially beat spy stunts in the battle for Chinese eyeballs and wallets.
IMAX viewers showed up in droves, contributing a hefty $5.5 million to the total haul, proving that if you’re going to watch genetically modified dinosaurs eating people, you might as well do it on the biggest screen possible.
“Jurassic World: Rebirth marks a clear restart for the franchise,” entertainment analyst Wei Zhang told Vice. “Chinese audiences are responding enthusiastically to the combination of nostalgia and fresh narrative direction.”
The film’s success wasn’t limited to mainland shores. Globally, Rebirth roared to a $318.3 million opening, surpassing even A Minecraft Movie‘s previous 2025 record. This dino-sized performance is especially impressive considering the increasingly competitive Chinese theatrical market, where domestic productions have been steadily gaining market share.
Directed by Gareth Edwards and featuring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, the film positions itself as a “clean slate” reboot—a strategy that appears to be paying dividends both domestically and internationally. Meanwhile, Detective Conan: The Movie gathered $8.4 million in its second weekend, with F1 and thriller Malice trailing behind with $7.7 million and $6.6 million, respectively.
The numbers confirm what industry insiders have suspected: when it comes to China’s box office, life finds a way.
