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Dinosaurs, cars and dragons pull cinema audiences across Aotearoa
New Zealand’s box office has had its biggest performance since June last year, thanks to a trifecta of films featuring dinosaurs, cars and dragons.
Val Morgan Cinema confirmed that from July 3 to July 6, a total of 245,000 admissions were recorded across the country. This was driven by Jurassic World: Rebirth, which delivered 87,000 admissions and a $1.7 million box office debut across its opening weekend.
F1: The Movie accelerated into second place, drawing 44,000 admissions across its third weekend, while live-action film How To Train Your Dragon rounded out the top three, pulling in 37,000 admissions in its fourth weekend in cinemas. It has also become the highest-grossing film in the franchise across New Zealand.
A slate of blockbusters
“When great content arrives, audiences respond, and last weekend is a prime example of that,” says Matt Tremain, Sales Director of Val Morgan Cinema New Zealand.
“We’re off to a strong second half of the year, with a slate full of blockbuster franchises and major releases that are building real momentum. It’s an exciting time for brands to get involved and make cinema a key part of their marketing strategy, especially with the depth of great content coming out during the holiday and Christmas period.”
Upcoming releases include Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2, and the monumental Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is expected to be the biggest film of 2025.
*Source: CineTAM 2025, Numero
