The Next 2018 Box Office Hit

This year has already seen a number of surprise success stories at the box office. While Black Panther briefly held the title of 2018’s biggest film, Marvel’s AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR raced beyond it to smash all-time opening weekend records, which could lead to weeks of box-office dominance. Does all this mean that Infinity War is destined to become 2018’s biggest hit?

While it’s a likely possibility, another film due for summer release threatens to take the title from both superhero flicks. That is none other than JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM. The upcoming dinosaur epic is the hotly-anticipated sequel to 2015’s Jurassic World. For that reason alone, it could end up becoming this year’s most successful film.

Will Fallen Kingdom Follow in Jurassic World‘s Footsteps?

When JURASSIC WORLD hit cinemas in 2015, few predicted the level of success it would achieve. The film served as the fourth outing of the JURASSIC PARK franchise, picking up after 14 years. It certainly made an impact on Hollywood. Dominating the box office throughout the summer, Jurassic World went on to gross over $2 billion globally. The T-rex sized haul resulted in it becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of all time.

The highly-anticipated sequel is destined to dominate the box office this summer. But there is a number of factors to consider when predicting its success relative to Jurassic World. That was the first JURASSIC PARK movie in over a decade. We should have expected fans of the original trilogy to flock to the theaters in their millions. Given that it’s only been three years between Jurassic films, we have to wonder if the sequel will find the same success.

JURASSIC WORLD has amassed its own following since then, however. It’s more than Jurassic Park 4. The film earned its own fandom and began a new saga led by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. With three years in between for home video sales and TV broadcasts, Jurassic World has picked up even more fans since its release. There’s a strong possibility that fans of the film and its new characters will flock to the sequel.

While this year’s big superhero movies and JURASSIC PARK: FALLEN KINGDOM have similar familial appeal, the dino romp has the advantage of being released in summer proper. Much like its predecessor, the release date allows its target audience to see the film during the school holidays. At the time of its release, JURASSIC PARK managed to unseat The Avengers as the third highest-grossing film, and even kept AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON at bay. A summer release may end up benefiting the new sequel in a similar way.

Regardless, the year’s biggest hit is destined to belong to larger-than-life characters, whether they be superheroes or dinosaurs. While BLACK PANTHER, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and JURASSIC PARK: FALLEN KINGDOM will all have made box office history, it’s clear that the latter has a lot working in its favor. When all is said and done for 2018, Infinity War‘s box office records may be extinct.

JURASSIC PARK: FALLEN KINGDOM hits theaters on June 22, 2018.