Here's how much Jurassic World Dominion cost to make and what it needs to earn at the box office to be considered a success. Back in 2015, the Jurassic Park franchise made a triumphant comeback via the first Jurassic World movie, which broke box office records en route to a $1.6 billion worldwide gross. That performance led to a sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which earned $1.3 billion in 2018. Now, Jurassic World Dominion is set to not only close out the Jurassic World trilogy, but also the entire franchise with a story that sees the classic cast cross paths with their younger counterparts.
In a summer movie season that's already seen massive hits in the form of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World Dominion is positioned as the latest studio tentpole looking to draw audiences in. Jurassic World Dominion box office projections had the film topping Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' opening of $187 million, which would be an excellent start. Universal is hoping it can reach that figure, since the movie wasn't cheap to make.
The reported Jurassic World Dominion production budget is $165 million. That puts it in the same range as its predecessors. The first Jurassic World cost $150 million to make, while Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was in the range of $170-187 million. Jurassic World Dominion is also in the ballpark of Top Gun: Maverick's $170 million budget.
The general rule of thumb is a movie needs to earn twice its production budget in order to break even. By that metric, Jurassic World Dominion needs to earn around $330 million globally to recoup its costs. If the previous installments are anything to go by, Jurassic World Dominion shouldn't have any trouble suring that total. The Jurassic Park property has always been a huge draw for audiences, and there's little reason to think that will change. Fallen Kingdom even received largely negative reviews and still grossed over $1 billion, which is a good sign for Jurassic World Dominion. Especially with the nostalgia factor of the original Jurassic Park cast reuniting, Dominion looks to be an event blockbuster that will be largely critic-proof. Should this film's reviews prove to be underwhelming, that probably won't have much of an impact.
Another factor working in Jurassic World Dominion's favor is - with the exception of Pixar's Lightyear - it is the highest-profile release opening in theaters until Thor: Love and Thunder in July. For the remainder of June, it will be facing minimal competition. Top Gun: Maverick has dominated the box office the first two weeks of its run, becoming Tom Cruise's biggest hit after enthusiastic reviews. That word-of-mouth should ensure Top Gun: Maverick will have decent legs for the next few weeks, but Cruise's latest has probably done a majority of its damage by now. Even if it continues to perform well as a holdover, there will still be high interest in seeing Jurassic World Dominion, meaning Universal will make a nice profit off their new tentpole.
