Jurassic Coup: 5 Signs Jurassic World Was Going to Devour the Box Office
By now you’ve heard Jurassic World conquered The Avengers U.S. box office opening record with a cool $209,000,000. While its success didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, I think it’s fair to say no one could have predicted it would do that well.
Here are five reasons we should have, though.
1. Early interest was high
As hinted at in an Outbrain study, Jurassic World struck the curiosity chord in audiences early in the year and continued to build until its record-setting debut.
2. It stars Chris Pratt
No offense to the great Bryce Dallas Howard, but at this point, just about everything Chris Pratt touches (Parks and Recreation, Guardians of the Galaxy) turns to gold. Jurassic World makes him a bona fide movie star now.
3. The Paul Rudd Effect
The specific charms of Chris Pratt are further elaborated on in Paul Rudd theory here and have some serious implications for Magic Mike XXL and Ant-Man.
4. Nostalgia for the 90s is at its peak
It’s the 90s all over again, with everything from The X-Files, Full House, and Scream slated for big-time comebacks in the next year. Jurassic Park was certainly a big part of 90s pop-culture, and while it’s not a reboot per se, Jurassic World clearly aims for a return to the campy fun and genuine thrills that were missing from the other sequels.
5. It Avoided Competition
Always a good strategy. In its opening weekend, Jurassic World competed with no other big debuts, perfectly positioning it to win big at the box office.
There you have it: the secret formula to box office success. Rinse and repeat, Hollywood.
