'Jack Reacher' Fights to Top of Thursday Box Office With $1.3 Million

Tom Cruise‘s “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” battled its way past a crowded field to top the Thursday night box office, taking in $1.3 million in previews.

The movie from Paramount and Skydance is a follow-up to “Jack Reacher,” which opened to just $15 million in December 2012, but went on to make $218 million worldwide. “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” is expected to bring in up to $23 million across 3,780 theaters, which should be enough to carry the film to the top spot this weekend, despite its subpar reviews — the movie has a 37 percent rating on critic aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Paramount has a more conservative estimate in the high teens for the movie, which has a production budget of $60 million.

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s not surprising that horror is the genre responsible for the next two films on the Thursday box office charts.

Also Read: 'Jack Reacher,' 'Ouija,' 'Madea' Sequels Within Fighting Distance of Box Office Supremacy

Tyler Perry‘s “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” a horror-comedy from Lionsgate starring Perry as the title character, placed second Thursday night. The latest in Perry’s popular Madea franchise scared up $855,000 from screenings at around 1,800 locations on Thursday.

While it’s only playing on 2,260 screens when it opens wider on Friday — more than 1,500 fewer than “Jack Reacher” — Perry’s “Madea” franchise is a proven draw, and “Boo!” could top out north of $20 million. Lionsgate, however, is going with a more conservative mid-teens projection. Bella Thorne also stars in the film, which has a 25 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.

“Ouija: Origin of Evil” from Universal, Blumhouse, Platinum Dunes and Hasbro came in third, bringing in $722,000 in from Thursday night shows at 2,371 theaters. The film, a sequel to 2014’s “Ouija” — itself based on the iconic Hasbro board game — could reel in as much as $19 million this weekend, playing on 3,164 screens. And unlike “Ouija,” which was panned by critics, “Origin of Evil,” which stars Elizabeth Reaser and Annalise Basso, has a very solid 81 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.

Also Read: 'Boo! A Madea Halloween' Star Yousef Erakat on His YouTube Roots, Improv-ing With Tyler Perry (Exclusive Video)

The first “Ouija” was a huge windfall for Universal, taking in $104 million worldwide on a $5 million budget, and “Origin of Evil” was made for just $9 million.

The fourth and final new wide release this week is Fox’s “Keeping Up with the Joneses,” about a suburban couple caught up in an international spy plot.

The comedy, which stars Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher, Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm and Patton Oswalt, took in $300,000 from Thursday night showings across approximately 2,400 screens.

Also Read: 'Keeping Up with the Joneses' Review: Jon Hamm and Zach Galifianakis Waste Their Time, and Ours

“Keeping Up with the Joneses” hasn’t been favorably regarded by critics — it holds an abysmal 16 percent Rotten Tomatoes score — and is expected to place fifth this weekend with $8 million, trailing the three other newcomers and one holdover from last week, Warner Bros.’ Ben Affleck action thriller “The Accountant.” The movie will play on 3,022 screens.

The Evolution of Tom Cruise, From Outsider to Jack Reacher (Photos)

TheWrap takes a look at Tom Cruise's career, from "Endless Love" to his upcoming film "The Mummy."
David Letterman
Tom Cruise was born in Syracuse, New York on July 3, 1962. However, he spent his childhood in Canada after his family moved to Ottawa in 1971. When his mother left his father, they moved back to the United States.
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Cruise's first role was a bit part in the 1981 film "Endless Love." Later that year, he had a major supporting role in "Taps."
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In 1983, the actor became part of the ensemble cast of "The Outsiders before starring in other films, including "All the Right Moves" and "Losin' It."
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1983 also marked the year he starred in "Risky Business," which is one of Cruise's most memorable roles, thanks to a little dance in his underwear.
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In 1985, Cruise played the male lead in the Ridley Scott film, "Legend," which costarred Tim Curry.
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The actor then starred in 1986's "Top Gun," which cemented his role as a global superstar. It is one of his highest grossing films after "War of the Worlds" and the "Mission: Impossible" series.
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The same year, Cruise paired up with Paul Newman for "The Color of Money," a sequel to "The Hustler."
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Cruise married actress Mimi Rogers in 1987 but divorced in 1990, and she was the one who introduced Cruise to the Church of Scientology. Cruise claimed the Church cured his dyslexia.
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1988's "Cocktail" earned Cruise the Razzie Award for Worst Actor, but followed that up with "Rain Man" alongside Dustin Hoffman, which won the Academy Award for Best Film.
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Cruise stayed on the awards train with "Born on the Fourth of July," which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama as well as his first Best Actor Academy Award nomination.
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Cruise's next films, "Days of Thunder" and "Far and Away," both co-starred his then-wife Nicole Kidman. They were married for 10 years before splitting in 2001. The couple adopted two children, Isabella and Connor.
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Cruise starred in Neil Jordan's "Interview with a Vampire" in 1994 alongside Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas and Christian Slater.
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1996 marked the beginning of the rebooted blockbuster franchise, "Mission: Impossible." He produced the first one, which has grossed $457 million worldwide since its debut. That same year, he played the titular role in "Jerry Maguire," which earned him a Golden Globe and his second Academy Award nomination.
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In 1998, Cruise sued the Daily Express after the publication alleged his marriage to Kidman was a sham because he was gay.
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1999 saw the reunion of Cruise and Kidman in Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut." He also took a supporting role in "Magnolia," for which he received yet another Golden Globe and a nomination for an Oscar.
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In 2000, Cruise filmed the second "Mission: Impossible" film, which was another success at the box office.
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In 2001, Cruise sued gay porn actor Chad Slater who said he had an affair with Cruise. Slater was ordered to pay $10 million in damages.
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The following year, Cruise starred in "Vanilla Sky" with Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz, with whom he was romantically linked in 2001. The relationship ended in 2004. That movie was followed by the science fiction thriller, "Minority Report and Edward Zwick's "The Last Samurai."
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Cruise's "War of the Worlds," directed by Steven Spielberg, became one of his highest-grossing films to date.
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In April 2005, Cruise began dating Katie Holmes. One month later, the actor famously declared his love for the actress on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" by jumping on the talk show host's couch.
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In 2005, the actor slammed Brooke Shields for endorsing prescription medication for treating postpartum depression. He also denounced psychiatry.
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In October 2005, the couple announced they were expecting their first child, and in April 2006, their daughter Suri was born.
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The couple was married in 2006. David Miscavige, the head of Scientology, served as Cruise's best man.
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In 2008, Cruise put on a fat suit to play Les Grossman in "Tropic Thunder," alongside Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. That same year, he starred in "Valkyrie," also a box office success.
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Films that followed include "Knight and Day," more "Mission: Impossible" films and "Rock of Ages." In 2012, his film "Jack Reacher" was released, grossing $216.6 million worldwide.
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In 2012, it was announced Holmes had filed for divorce from Cruise.
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His upcoming films include "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back," as well as "The Mummy."
Paramount