By Chris Kavan - 01/07/18 at 08:30 PM CT
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle will not longer be able to claim a record - but that's okay, as it can no longer be crowned the highest grossing movie never to hit first place because, well, it hit first place. With audiences loving it and Star Wars falling, the feel-good family action/adventure film was at the top of the box office. Insidious: The Last Key also had a strong opening (and also topped Star Wars), while the expansion of Molly's Game also brought in decent numbers. Even though it fell, Star Wars continues to rise on the record charts and looks to finish strong.
1) JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
Topping the weekend in style, the new Jumanji had a very strong hold, dropping just over 28% and taking in $36 million for a new total of $244.3 million. It is now all but certain that Welcome to the Jungle is going to hit $300 million, the question is, how high can it go? If it can top Thor: Ragnarok ($312 million) and It ($326 million), it will be in the top four (or five) movies of 2017. If it can top Guardians of the Galaxy ($333 million) it will be the second best film for Karen Gillan (Guardians 2 pulled in $389 million). If it can top $350 million it will be Dwayne Johnson's biggest domestic hit ahead of Furious 7 and, taking all that into account, it may be one of Sony's top three films of all time, depending on the legs. All signs point to it having a continued successful run - while Paddington 2 comes out next weekend, it doesn't have as much appeal and no other family fare looks to really challenge until February. It will be very interesting to see just how much the film can pull in. Oh, and it has also topped $500 million, with a very real possibility of topping $700 million before it's done.
2)
INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY
While the last Insidious film may have been a bit of a letdown, The Last Key has reinvigorated fans. With a $29.2 million opening, The Last Key become the second-best opening in the franchise, topping Part 3 by $7 million. It's also the second best opening for a January horror just behind (unfortunately) The Devil Inside ($33 million - and totally unjustified). As I said, horror fans haven't had a lot to watch since It and Happy Death Day, so I'm sure The Last Key got a bump from starved fans. It did earn a "B-" Cinemascore (the lowest out of the Insidious films) but I have a feeling it won't sway many either way. It was split nearly evenly between men and women, with 41% coming in over 25 - nearly mirroring the results of Part 3. The film also brought in $20.1 million from 33 markets - the highest total from that group of markets for the franchise as well. Even if the film suffers a big drop off (as is typical for many horror films), I have a feeling this means we're going to get a fifth chapter not too far down the line.
3)
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
Taking a 55.2% hit over last weekend, The Last Jedi slipped to third place with a $23.55 million weekend. The second film in the new Star Wars trilogy raised its total to $572.5 million. The film is still on pace for a $640 million or so domestic total. While that will put it well behind The Force Awakens, that film was unique and anyone who expected The Last Jedi to match that is just plain delusional. It will set a record for the biggest drop between sequels (in raw numbers), but I also think that was to be expected. It has earned $632.7 international for a worldwide total of $1.2 billion, moving up to 13th place all time topping Captain America: Civil War ($1.153 billion) and Minions ($1.159 billion). It had a rough opening in China with only $28.7 million, lower than both Rogue One ($30 million) and The Force Awakens ($52.3 million) but Chinese audiences are unfamiliar with the earlier Star Wars films and the aesthetic of the style doesn't really suit them. It's a bummer, but also was to be expected.
4)
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
Sticking firm in fourth place after its record hold, The Greatest Showman continued to deliver, falling a mere 11.1% and earning $13.8 million for a new total of $75.9 million, topping the $75 million milestone in the process. The candy-coated all-ages musical has certainly struck a chord with audiences, and this one looks like it will now easily top the $100 million mark. The $84 million picture looked a bit doomed following a disappointing opening, but has recovered mightily. With a little help from the international market (where it has thus far brought in $74.48 million), it will turn a nice, tidy profit and give Hugh Jackman fans a much different side than Logan.
5)
PITCH PERFECT 3 Keeping a spot in the top five, the Bellas dipped 39.2% and added another $10.22 million to the bank for a new total of $86 million. The third part in the harmonizing trilogy is also eyeing a total that should top the $100 million mark. So what if it can't catch the second film's $188 million total, for an ensemble comedy that focuses on acapella singing, I think $100 million looks mighty fine. It had also earned $55 million overseas with a worldwide total approaching the $150 million mark. We'll see if this is enough inspiration to begin a new franchise down the road.
Outside the top five: Molly's Game jumped from 13th to 7th place with its expansion into over 1600 theaters. Though it faced plenty of adult fare, it managed well enough, taking in $7 million for a new total of $14.2 million. That 198% increase means this will be another solid film for STX following The Foreigner and Bad Moms Christmas.
In limited release, The Post had the best per-theater average (before its nationwide rollout this coming Friday) with $1.7 million from just 36 theaters for a $47,222 average. Not far behind was the opening for the supposed final film for actor Daniel Day-Lewis, The Phantom Thread, which brought in $245,000 from just 6 theaters for a $40,833. This one will also continue to expand.
Wonder delivered its final milestone, crossing the $125 million mark in 13th place with $2.4 million and a new $126.6 million total.
Next week brings us two action films, Liam Neeson's The Commuter and Taraji P. Henson's Proud Mary. We also get Paddington 2 along with the nationwide expansion of The Post.
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