‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ scores box office-topping $60.1 million debut

Frank Masi(NEW YORK) — Jumanji: The Next Level leveled up to the 13th largest December opening ever, delivering an estimated $60.1 million.  The sequel to 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, nearly doubled its predecessor’s $36 million opening weekend, and marked the highest debut for a December comedy, as well as the best launch for live-action movie for stars Kevin Hart and Jack Black.

In its second week of release internationally, the film, which also features returning cast members Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, along with newcomers Danny DeVito, Danny Glover and Awkwafina, drew an estimated $85.7 million, for a worldwide total of $212.6 million.

The news was not as good for the weekend’s other major releases.  Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell managed only a fourth place finish, earning just an estimated $5 million.  The true crime drama, starring Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde and Paul Walter Hauser, was expected to pull earn around $10 million.  Its box office pull marked one of the worst nationwide openings of Eastwood’s directorial career, just ahead of 1980’s Billy Bronco with $3.7 million. 

Black Christmas — a remake of the 1974 slasher flick —  which stars Imogen Poots, Brittany O’Grady, Cary Elwes, Aleyse Shannon and Lily Donoghue, only managed to scrounge up an estimated $4.4 million for a fifth place finish. It was the second-worst release for a Blumhouse Productions major feature, coming behind 2015’s Jem and the Holograms.

Disney’s Frozen 2, dropped to number two after spending its first three weeks of release at the top, delivering an estimated $19.2 million.  It has earned $366.5 million stateside, along with $666 million overseas for a total of $1.032 billion. Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

In third place was the whodunnit Knives Out, collecting an estimated $9.25 million in its third week of release. 

In limited release, A24’s Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, had the best opening in the studio’s history and the 26th best opening average all-time, delivering an estimated $525,498 in five locations for a $105,100 per-theater average.

Bombshell, opening in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles ahead of its nationwide opening next weekend, earned an estimated $312,000 for a $78,000 per-theater average.

Here are the top 10 movies Friday through Sunday, with estimated domestic box office earnings:

1. Jumanji: The Next Level, $60.1 million
2. Frozen 2, $19.2 million
3. Knives Out, $9.25 million
4. Richard Jewell, $5 million
5. Black Christmas, $4.4 million
6. Ford v Ferrari, $4.1 million
7. Queen & Slim, $3.6 million
8. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, $3.35 million
9. Dark Waters, $2 million
10. 21 Bridges, $1.19 million

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