Jurassic World (2015) – $652.3M

The biggest surprise on this list is Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World. Though Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park remains one of his most beloved films to date, its sequels are less fondly remembered, with Joe Johnston’s Jurassic Park III grinding the franchise to a halt in 2001. With a fourth film stuck in development hell for years, the release of Jurassic World in 2015 was perhaps a perfect storm of events. With the sudden star power of Chris Pratt following his breakout performance in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and a heavy dose of nostalgia, Jurassic World surprised many by surpassing Avengers’ $200 million debut with a then-record $209 million debut. The film ultimately finished with a shocking $652.3 million domestically and over $1.7 billion worldwide, firmly establishing that dinosaurs were back in fashion.