'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Rules the Box Office on Thursday Night

Despite mixed reviews from critics, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is well on its way to conquering the weekend box office, taking a substantial bite out of the competition on Thursday night.

According to a report from Variety, the latest installment in the Jurassic franchise roared to $15.3 million in previews on Thursday throughout North America. The film is expected to gross between $130 and $140 million domestically over the course of the weekend.

While this is a stellar launch for any film (only 48 movies ever have made more than $10 million from Thursday night openings), the numbers are slightly less than Universal might have hoped. The first Jurassic World, which broke box office records in 2015, made $18.5 million on its opening night. That movie went on to earn $208.8 million in its opening weekend, and $1.7 billion throughout its worldwide theatrical run, including $652 million in North America.

Part of the reason for the lower opening of Fallen Kingdom can be attributed to the success of Disney/Pixar's Incredibles 2, which scored a whopping $18 million on its Thursday night preview, leading to $183 million in its opening weekend. This made for the biggest opening of any animated movie in history, and the eighth best debut overall. In its first six days at the U.S. box office, Incredibles 2 has already made $253 million.

The Pixar sequel is expected to make between $75 and $90 million in its second weekend, which doesn't help Jurassic World's cause.

Fortunately for Universal, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has already made back its $170 million production budget. The movie opened overseas two weeks ago, and has earned a grand total of $450 million so far, with $170 million coming from China alone. In addition to the money made at the domestic box office this weekend, there's no doubt Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is another hit.

Are you excited to see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom this weekend? What do you think the movie will make at the box office this weekend? Let us know your best theories in the comments below!

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is now playing in theaters everywhere.