Hollywood’s latest dinosaur spectacle, Jurassic World: Rebirth, has roared into Nigerian cinemas with a solid opening, earning N52.5 million in its debut weekend.
While international attention is fixed on global box office performance, the film’s local reception reflects Nigeria’s growing appetite for big-budget blockbusters and establishes the Jurassic franchise’s enduring appeal.
Directed by Gareth Edwards, known for Rogue One and Godzilla, Rebirth is the seventh installment in the Jurassic Park franchise and a direct sequel to 2022’s Jurassic World: Dominion, which earned more than $1 billion globally.
The new film, budgeted at an estimated $180 million, reunites the franchise with screenwriter David Koepp, a longtime Spielberg collaborator who co-wrote the original Jurassic Park (1993) and The Lost World (1997).
About the movie
Featuring a star-studded cast including Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and Rupert Friend, the film marks a narrative and tonal shift for the series. Set nearly two decades after a failed InGen experiment on a remote Atlantic Island, the story follows a covert expedition to retrieve dinosaur DNA with the potential to unlock a revolutionary heart disease treatment. But in true Jurassic fashion, the mission spirals into chaos as genetically altered predators wreak havoc.
The film’s plot stretches across continents and eras. In the narrative’s present day, set in 2027 the Earth’s climate is no longer suitable for de-extinct creatures. Dinosaurs, relegated to equatorial zones resembling the Mesozoic era, are off-limits to human travel. A desperate pharmaceutical company, ParkerGenix, launches a secret mission to harvest DNA from three key species: a Mosasaurus, a Titanosaurus, and a Quetzalcoatlus.
What follows is a high-stakes survival tale involving mercenaries, scientists, and a family stranded amid carnivorous chaos. The film’s antagonist, a genetically deformed six-limbed Tyrannosaur called Distortus rex, adds a fresh layer of fear and frenzy to the franchise’s ever-expanding bestiary.
What to know
Filming spanned locations in Thailand, Malta, and the U.K., with principal photography wrapped in September 2024. The ambitious international production shows Universal Pictures’ continued commitment to revitalizing its flagship franchise, even as reviews have been mixed. Critics praised the visual effects and ensemble performances, but some pointed to a convoluted plot and franchise fatigue.
Still, Rebirth has exceeded early expectations in several markets, and its Nigerian box office debut signals an important win in a region that has become a growing hub for global cinema. In recent years, Nollywood has dominated local screens, but the success of foreign blockbusters like Fast X, Avatar: The Way of Water, and now Jurassic World: Rebirth points to a robust demand for Hollywood content in West Africa.
With a legacy of box office dominance behind it, Jurassic World: Rebirth is poised for a strong international performance even as it competes with summer releases and streaming distractions. Its Nigerian debut may be modest compared to global figures, but it confirms one thing: dinosaurs still sell, and not just in Hollywood.
