The Universal dinosaur tentpole is on track for one of Hollywood’s biggest opening weekends in the Middle Kingdom this year.
Universal and Amblin’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom stomped into China on Friday, opening to a hefty $34.4 million, according to the studio.
Local box-office tracker EntGroup had the opening-day gross slightly higher at $36 million.
The muscular start puts the dinosaur tentpole on track for one of the biggest opening weekends by a Hollywood film this year. It won’t match Avengers: Infinity War‘s record-breaking $191 million opening frame, but it will easily top Black Panther‘s $65 million opening and Ready Player One‘s $61.6 million debut.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom began rolling out overseas last weekend ahead of schedule in order to avoid competing with the World Cup. It doesn’t land in North America until June 22.
Through Thursday, the sequel’s overseas gross was a hefty $202.3 million from 49 markets.
The first Jurassic World film earned $229 million in China in 2015, the third-largest performance by a Hollywood film that year, behind only Furious 7 ($391 million) and Avengers: Age of Ultron ($240 million).
Directed by Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona (The Impossible), Fallen Kingdom once again co-stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, with franchise newcomers James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniella Pineda and Toby Jones rounding out the cast.
The story follows Pratt and Howard’s characters as they rush to help rescue the dinosaurs on the abandoned island of Isla Nublar after a volcano erupts. But the duo soon uncover a menacing conspiracy when the evacuation leads to a secret dino-zoo on the mainland of America.
Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley produce, with Steven Spielberg and Colin Trevorrow — who helmed Jurassic World — executive producing.
Fallen Kingdom has just one week to itself in China before Disney and Pixar’s The Incredibles 2 debuts on June 22.
Pamela McClintock contributed to this report.
June 15, 9:30 a.m. Updated with revised numbers.
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