Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World Rebirth has stormed the global box office and exceeded expectations by raking in US$147.3 million (A$221 million) across the US and Canada.

The seventh film in the franchise, Rebirth stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey as a team on a mission to harvest dinosaur DNA to develop life-saving medicine.

Despite mixed critical reception, just 52% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, fans flocked to cinemas in droves. Globally, the film had an estimated US$318.3 million (A$479 million) opening, including a strong US$41.5 million (A$62 million) from China.

Directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One), the film cost around US$180 million (A$269 million) to produce. It marks a return to form for Universal after 2022’s Jurassic World: Dominion underwhelmed both critically and commercially.

Universal, a division of Comcast, is banking on the enduring appeal of dinosaurs, which have already generated over A$9 billion in global ticket sales since Spielberg’s original Jurassic Park in 1993.

With no IMAX screens available due to Apple’s F1 film, Rebirth still managed to dethrone it for the top spot.