Box Office Preview: ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ to Rule Over ‘Sicario 2,’ ‘Uncle Drew’
By Rebecca Rubin
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The June box office will close with a roar.
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” will easily top the weekend again, while newcomers “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and “Uncle Drew” eye modest double-digit openings.
The second weekend of “Fallen Kingdom” will bring in another $60 million to $75 million. The Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard-led tentpole has pocketed $729.8 million worldwide to date, including $567 million overseas. “Fallen Kingdom” is the sequel to 2015’s “Jurassic World,” which made $106.5 million in its sophomore frame. That film had a bigger launch, however, opening to a franchise-best $208.8 million in North America. The dino blockbuster went on to top $652 million domestically and $1 billion globally. The second should also clear the $1 billion mark.
Meanwhile, Josh Brolin is back on the big screen before he even left. The Academy Award-nominated actor, who led two of this summer’s biggest blockbusters (“Avengers: Infinity War” and “Deadpool 2”) is reteaming with Benicio Del Toro in “.” The follow-up to “Sicario” is targeting around $10 million to $13 million when it opens in 2,500 locations. That’s on par with original film, which debuted in 2015 with $12 million. The critically praised drama went on to earn $84 million globally off its $30 million production budget. The sequel should be in a similar position, a result that’s fair by summer blockbuster standards, but could justify its $35 million price tag.
Stefano Sollima took over directing duties from Denis Villenueve on this go-round, while Taylor Sheridan returned to pen the script. “Day of the Soldado” sees Del Toro and Brolin reprising their roles as a former undercover operative and CIA agent. The bloody and violent sequel chronicles a new chapter in the U.S.-Mexico drug war, following the cartels as they traffick terrorists across the U.S. border. The cast also includes Isabela Moner, Jeffrey Donovan, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Catherine Keener.
The Columbia Pictures film has already received solid reviews and is currently averaging a 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The first film, which also starred Emily Blunt, secured an impressive 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and went on to score three Oscar nominations.
Elsewhere at multiplexes, Lionsgate’s “” hopes to dunk $10 million to $13 million when it opens in over 2,700 theaters. NBA all-star Kyrie Irving stars in the Pepsi commercial-turned-feature film about a down-on-his-luck basketball coach (Lil Rel Howery), who enlists basketball legend Uncle Drew (Irving) to recruit a group of septuagenarian former ballers to play in Harlem’s Rucker Classic street ball tournament.
The sports comedy features a mashup of athletes and comedians, including Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, Lisa Leslie, Erica Ash, Tiffany Haddish, and Nick Kroll. “Uncle Drew” was directed by Charles Stone III and written by Jay Longino.
After a sluggish 2017, “Incredibles 2,” “Ocean’s 8,” and “” have bolstered the summer box office up 14.1%, according to ComScore. The year-to-date box office is also at an upswing. Midway through 2018, domestic ticket sales have passed $6 billion, reaching that milestone in record time.
