Strange times: If I had told you one year ago that on Father's Day weekend 2020, Jurassic Park and Jaws would be the top two grossing movies at the box office, you likely wouldn't have believed me. But that's exactly how things played out this past weekend.
As Deadline highlights, industry estimates for June 19 - 21 put Jurassic Park at number one with a haul of $517,600. It's the fourth time that the film has been number one at the box office following its 1993 release. Another of Steven Spielberg's films, 1975's Jaws, finished in second place with $516,300 over the three-day period.
Other catalog titles including Back to the Future, E.T. and The Goonies also finished in the top 10.
No, you aren't on magic mushrooms or living in some weird alternate reality (although it has felt like that at times lately). Instead, operators are testing the waters of reopening theaters amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. With most major studios having halted production and holding back completed movies until theaters return to full operation, exhibitors are now showing blockbusters that were originally released years - or even decades - ago.
The strategy certainly won't appeal to everyone but it's kind of neat at the same time, especially for movie buffs that may have missed the opportunity to see a classic like Back to the Future or Jurassic Park during their initial theater runs.
Image credit: Tyler Olson, rocker2014