'Jurassic World' sets box office record

Cast member Chris Pratt attends the premiere of 'Jurassic World' in Hollywood last week. REUTERS...
Cast member Chris Pratt attends the premiere of 'Jurassic World' in Hollywood last week. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Dinosaurs stomped to a box office record over the weekend as "Jurassic World" notched the biggest movie debut in history, with a global total of $US524.1 million, Universal Pictures says.

"Jurassic World," which reboots the dormant "Jurassic Park" franchise nearly 15 years after the first trilogy ended, grossed $208.8 million at the North American box office, topping the $207.4 million record set by "Avengers" in 2012.

At the international box office, "Jurassic World" opened to $315.3 million, exceeding the previous $314 million record set by "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" in 2011.

"Jurassic World," starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, was made for $150 million by Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures. It adds a capitalist twist to a world where dinosaurs still roam among humans within an island theme park.

The film easily surpassed early projections for a $121 million opening, drawing both fans of the original trilogy and a new generation of moviegoers.

"Jurassic World" becomes yet another box office hit this year for Universal Pictures, following February's erotic "Fifty Shades of Grey," April's "Furious 7" action release and May's "Pitch Perfect 2."

The studio notched two more records this weekend, becoming the fastest to reach $1 billion within a calendar year at the North American box office and $3 billion worldwide.

Shares of Comcast were up 4 cents at $58.30 in afternoon trading.

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