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Those ticket sales, at the higher end of
industry projections, represent a healthy jump on its
predecessor, 2017's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" ($36
million). It also marks the highest debut for a December comedy,
as well as the best start for live-action movie for stars Kevin
Hart and Jack Black.
It's a decidedly less jovial time for fellow new movies, Warner
Bros. "Richard Jewell" and Universal's "Black Christmas."
Heading into the weekend, both films were expected to earn at
least $10 million. Instead, the pair combined barely hit that
number. On the plus side, December releases don't typically have
huge openings ("Star Wars" movies aside) but can have long legs
in theaters throughout the holiday season.
"Richard Jewell," the latest offering from director Clint
Eastwood, tumbled out of the gate in fourth place $5 million
from 2,502 theaters. Those uninspired box office receipts rank
among the worst in recent history for Eastwood.
Starring Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm
and Olivia Wilde, the biographical drama is based on the
security guard falsely accused by the media for playing a part
in the 1996 Olympics bombing. "Richard Jewell" has been making
headlines of its own after it found itself in the center of
controversy over its portrayal of a female journalist trading
sex for scoops.
"Black Christmas," a slasher film that opened on Friday the
13th, debuted at No. 5 and collected $4.4 million from 2,625
screens.
Disney's "Frozen 2" slid to second place, generating a solid
$19.2 million in its fourth weekend of release. The animated
sequel crossed the $1 billion mark globally, the sixth Disney
movie to do so this year. In North America, "Frozen 2" has made
$366 million and stands as the 11th-biggest animated film ever.
In third place, Lionsgate's murder mystery "Knives Out" brought
in another $9.25 million for a domestic tally of $78.9 million.
Among specialty releases, the Safdie brothers' "Uncut Gems" set
a new record for A24, earning $525,498 from five theaters. That
averages out to $105,100 per location, making it the biggest
opening ever for the studio. The high-intensity thriller has
earned critical acclaim, especially for Adam Sandler's
performance as a New York jeweler dealing with repercussions
from a high-stakes bet.
Another awards hopeful, Lionsgate's "Bombshell," kicked off in
limited release. The drama, based on female Fox News anchors who
went public with sexual harassment allegations against Roger
Ailes, ignited with $312,000 from four screens, translating to
$78,000 from each venue. Women represented nearly 60% of ticket
buyers, while 86% of audiences were over the age of 25.
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