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"Jurassic World: Rebirth" opens in China as blockbuster franchise rolls on

China

China

China

"Jurassic World: Rebirth" opens in China as blockbuster franchise rolls on

2025-07-02 22:25 Last Updated At:07-03 02:17

Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Rupert Friend, who star in "Jurassic World: Rebirth”, shared their special experience of entering the dinosaur's world, ahead of its opening in Chinese theaters on Tuesday.

Three years after the conclusion of the first "Jurassic World" trilogy, the blockbuster "Jurassic" franchise returns with a new film directed by Gareth Edwards from a script by original "Jurassic Park" screenwriter David Koepp.

In an interview with China Central Television, the three film stars recalled their earliest memories of the dinosaur film franchise which first hit screens in 1993.

"I think it's scary in the moment, but it's not like you have nightmares about it. It's fun and exciting and terrifying in the moment. But it's not like haunting," said Johansson.

"And that's the brilliant thing about dinosaurs and why we love them so much is because they're majestic and they're huge and they're terrifying. But we do know that they don't exist," said Bailey.

The new story follows an extraction team that ventures to a dangerous island research facility from "Jurassic Park," now inhabited by deadly dinosaurs. Their objective is to collect DNA samples from three colossal prehistoric species on land, sea and air for a medical breakthrough.

Although dinosaurs are the protagonists of the movie, the human characters also have their own story lines in the film this time.

"It was important to me that the character felt like someone who had lived a fulfilling life up until that point in many ways and is probably more comfortable in a crisis than she is with nothing to do," said Johansson, who plays Zora Bennett, a covert operations expert contracted to lead a team on the top-secret mission to secure genetic material.

As the brains of the team, Dr. Henry Loomis, played by Bailey, knows everything about dinosaurs.

Martin Krebs, a pharmaceutical representative and the team leader played by Friend, is a character of ambiguous morality. He is also the initiator and driving force of the entire story.

"Because of his desire to get this drug, he hires both these people for different reasons. I think he was somebody who maybe didn't have, a bit like Scarlett’s character, didn't necessarily have much else to live for except money in this example, which I think is a bit sad," said Friend.

"Jurassic World: Rebirth" opens in China as blockbuster franchise rolls on

"Jurassic World: Rebirth" opens in China as blockbuster franchise rolls on

China's movie industry is increasingly deriving its earnings from broader consumer economy.

Released during the 2025 summer season, the film "Nobody" became China's highest-grossing two-dimensional animated film -- and its success went beyond theaters.

Through licensing and brand partnerships, the movie has generated 2.5 billion yuan (about 358.3 million U.S. dollars) in retail sales to consumers, with more than 800 licensed products on the market.

Ranging from plush toys to food and home goods, the movie-related merchandise can be purchased from over 3,000 online and offline outlets.

Meanwhile, souvenir stores are crowded at Shanghai Disneyland's Zootopia themed land, with hats, plush toys, and collectibles seeing steady demand from visitors.

"China's film industry is no longer defined by box office revenue alone. It has become a new growth engine that links and energizes multiple cultural sectors. At the heart of every successful film is strong storytelling. High-quality productions create cultural value, which in turn enhances the commercial value of intellectual property and opens up new consumption opportunities. I believe China's film industry delivered an outstanding performance in the past year," said Chen Xiaoda, vice dean of Shanghai Vancouver Film School.

Film IP fuels expansion of consumer market

Film IP fuels expansion of consumer market

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