2025 Set to Be One of the Biggest Box Office Years in History with 3 Major Records Already Broken

2025 is shaping up to be a monumental year for the global box office, with three major records already shattered.

The latest installment in the Jurassic franchise, Jurassic World: Rebirth, achieved a remarkable $318.3 million globally during its five-day opening, marking the largest July 4th weekend debut ever. This success underscores the enduring appeal of the dinosaur saga

The new movie Jurassic World: Rebirth, directed by Gareth Edwards, opened on a Wednesday and made $147.3 million in its first five days in North America. Of that, $91.5 million came from the long weekend, which includes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The movie also did very well internationally, opening in 82 countries and adding $171 million to the total. In China alone, it earned $41.5 million, playing on 65,000 screens, including 760 IMAX screens. This is the biggest movie opening in China so far this year.

Jim Orr from Universal said, “It’s just a tremendous result. ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ is exactly what audiences crave during the summer: a very big, fun, extraordinarily well-done adventure.”

Disney’s live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch also made history by securing the biggest Memorial Day weekend opening alongside Mission: Impossible, grossing $182.6 million domestically. The film has since become the top-grossing movie of the year worldwide, surpassing A Minecraft Movie.

On the international front, China’s Ne Zha 2 has set a new benchmark by becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever, with a staggering $1.99 billion in global earnings. Notably, it achieved this feat without significant contributions from North American markets

The movie did really well in China after it was released. In just three days, it made 1.1 billion yuan (about $137 million), becoming the first movie to reach 1 billion yuan during the Chinese New Year in 2025. On the fourth day, it made over 2 billion yuan, and by the sixth day, it had passed 4 billion yuan, breaking the previous speed record for reaching that amount.

By the eighth day, it earned more than 5 billion yuan (about $684 million), beating the previous record set by The Battle at Lake Changjin and becoming the highest-earning animated movie in mainland China. The Ne Zha series also became only the second film series in China to earn over 10 billion yuan (about $1.37 billion) with just two movies. By the ninth day, it reached over 6 billion yuan.

In the U.S., the movie premiered on February 12, selling out tickets quickly and making $7.2 million in its opening weekend, much better than the $1.2 million the first Ne Zha made.

As you can see, we’re only halfway through the year, and major records are already being shattered. It’s a great sign that cinema is bouncing back strong after the tough impact of COVID.

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