‘Jurassic Park’ Will Return to Theaters for Its 30th Birthday

Scott Mendelson
·2 min read

Universal will unleash the dinos of “Jurassic Park” into theaters once more. Starting August 25, Steven Spielberg’s adventure epic will play in RealD 3D auditoriums in celebration of its 30th anniversary.

“There’s truly no better way to see Jurassic Park than on the big screen,” said Universal president of domestic theatrical distribution Jim Orr,. “The monumental impact it made back in 1993 stands as a true testament to Steven Spielberg’s unparalleled genius. Not only did it firmly secure its place as a timeless classic, but its energy and excitement remain as vibrant as ever. With this release in RealD 3D cinemas across the US and Canada, we’re thrilled to offer moviegoers the chance to rediscover this movie once again on a big screen.”

This is also the 10th anniversary of its previous wide 3D reissue, which was to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary.

“Jurassic Park” opened in June of 1993 and represented a nexus between old-school special effects and the potential of computer-generated imagery. The film earned strong reviews and white-hot buzz thanks to jaw-dropping imagery, quirky characters played by a game cast (including Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, etc.) and a director committed to reminding audiences why he was considered the top of his class.

Cue a record $50 million domestic debut and legs that kept the film in theaters for over a year. It was among the last blockbusters to benefit from an already declining second-run ecosystem. Anecdotally, it was still playing in drive-in theaters as late as June of 1994. It grossed $359 million domestically (the biggest ever for an initial release at the time and second only to “E.T.” overall) and $925 million worldwide. It bested “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” to become the biggest global grosser ever until “Titanic.”

That April of 2013 reissue earned $45 million in domestic box office, pushing the film’s unadjusted domestic total past $400 million. It also marked an endpoint to a brief slew of successful 3D reissues in the early 2010s. The success of James Cameron’s “Avatar” in late 2009/early 2010 caused a gold rush toward 3D tentpoles.

Sean Spencer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for RealD, added, “For audiences who have not experienced this beloved classic on the big screen in years, now is the chance to see the original Jurassic Park in 3D. This is summertime event moviegoing the way it was meant to be seen.”

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