Universal Pictures is celebrating today with the news that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has become the third movie of 2018 – and the first non-Disney title – to pass the $1 billion mark at the global box office.
Going into the weekend, the J.A. Bayona-directed sequel had grossed $304.8 million domestically, plus a further $700.7 million internationally, for a grand total of $1.005 billion and counting.
The box office milestone also means that Universal has joined Disney in another exclusive club, being the only studios to have two movies from three separate franchises pass $1 billion apiece (Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, and Despicable Me 3 and Minions).
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is now the second highest-grossing entry in the Jurassic Park franchise behind its 2015 predecessor, which earned $1.672 billion.
SEE ALSO: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom writer has revealed why Jeff Goldblum had such a small role
It’s been four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles.
When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Owen is driven to find Blue, his lead raptor who’s still missing in the wild, and Claire has grown a respect for these creatures she now makes her mission. Arriving on the unstable island as lava begins raining down, their expedition uncovers a conspiracy that could return our entire planet to a perilous order not seen since prehistoric times.
With all of the wonder, adventure and thrills synonymous with one of the most popular and successful series in cinema history, this all-new motion-picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs—along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before. Welcome to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom sees J.A. Bayona directing a cast that includes franchise veterans Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, BD Wong and Jeff Goldblum alongside newcomers Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger), Rafe Spall (Black Mirror), Justice Smith (The Get Down), Ted Levine (Silence of the Lambs), James Cromwell (The Young Pope), Daniella Pineda (The Detour) and Geraldine Chaplin (A Monster Calls).