'Jumanji' Roars Past 'The Greatest Showman' in Wednesday Box Office Opening

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” earned a solid $7.2 million on its opening day Wednesday, on track for its $45 million six-day opening.

Meanwhile, Fox’s “The Greatest Showman” grossed $2.45 million on Wednesday. It’s projected to have a six-day opening in the low-to-mid $20 million range against an $84 million budget.

Made on a budget of $90 million, “Jumanji” will try to peel off some family audiences and the 18-35 demographic with its quartet of box office drawing stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan. The film also has critics on its side, currently giving it an 77 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s CinemaScore is A-.

Also Read: 'Jumanji' Star Nick Jonas on His 'Bromance' With Jack Black and the Viral 'Jumanji, Jumanji' Video

Directed by Jake Kasdan and based on the 1995 Robin Williams adventure film, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” follows four teens who wind up in detention and find a mysterious video game, which is actually the Jumanji board game from the first film transformed into a video game cartridge. When they play it, they get sucked inside the game and are transformed into their game avatars. With the help of another player who fell into the game 20 years ago (Nick Jonas), the quartet must find a way to escape. The film was written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, and Jeff Pinkner.

“The Greatest Showman” is directed by Michael Gracey from a script by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon with songs written by “La La Land” lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Michelle Williams star. The film has been nominated for three Golden Globes, including Best Musical or Comedy, Best Original Song, and Best Actor for Jackman.

“The Greatest Showman,” a musical based on the life of famed circus founder P.T. Barnum, has received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a score of 48 percent. However, it has received a CinemaScore of A.

Also Read: 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' Film Review: A Mainstream Moviegoing Miracle

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is expected to continue its winning streak in its second weekend at the box office, looking to exceed another $100 million. On Wednesday, the Rian Johnson-directed film grossed another $16.9 million. So far, “The Last Jedi” has earned $278.8 million domestically, and $573.8 million globally.

Christmas weekend at the box office is going to become more crowded, as Trish Sie’s “Pitch Perfect 3,” Lawrence Sher’s “Father Figures” and Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing” are also opening in wide release.

In addition to these wide releases, Fox Searchlight’s “The Shape of Water” and Focus Features’ “Darkest Hour” will expand nationwide while other awards contenders like Fox’s “The Post,” Sony’s “All The Money In The World,” STX’s “Molly’s Game,” and Focus’ “The Phantom Thread” will also make their entrance.

The Ultimate Guide to Dwayne Johnson's Upcoming Movie and TV Projects (Photos)

The Rock has gone from being one of the biggest names in WWE to one of the hardest working men in Hollywood. As he continues to announce new projects via social media, TheWrap lists Dwayne Johnson's insane schedule for the upcoming years. Disclaimer: Some of these projects are in script phase or have just been announced, so are subject to changes.
"Jumanji: The Next Level"

After the success of 2017's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," which grossed almost a billion dollars, Sony has set its sequel, also starring Nick Jonas, Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart, for December 13.
Sony
"Jungle Cruise"

Johnson will star in Disney’s live-action “Jungle Cruise,” which is based on its popular theme-park ride. “Jungle Cruise” will also star Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall and Jesse Plemons, and Jaume Collet-Serra is directing. It is set to hit theaters July 24, 2020.
Disney
"Black Adam"
In 2016, it was announced Johnson would star in a "Black Adam" spinoff movie. Johnson has been attached to play the character since 2008. Most recently, Jaume Collet-Serra was being eyed to direct the film for New Line Cinema. Adam Sztykiel (“Rampage”) is writing the screenplay. Johnson recently announced the film's release date: December 22, 2021.
DC Comics/Getty Images
"Red Notice"

Johnson will star alongside Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds in the international heist thriller "Red Notice," written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber ("Skyscraper"). Initially, the project had been set up at Universal, but in July, it moved to Netflix. It is set to begin production in 2020.
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"The King"

In 2018, it was announced Johnson would star as Hawaiian king Kamehameha I in Robert Zemeckis’ “The King.” Warner Bros. and New Line picked up the package. “King” is based on a spec script written by Randall Wallace (“Braveheart”). Johnson will produce alongside his Seven Bucks Productions partners Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia, as well as FlynnPictureCo’s Beau Flynn, Zemeckis and Wallace.
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"Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon"
In 2012, it was reported that Johnson would reprise his role as Hank from "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" in a third installation. He replaced Brendan Fraser, who starred as Trevor Anderson, in the 2008 "Journey to the Center of the Earth." However, there has been no recent movement on the project.
New Line Cinema
"Big Trouble in Little China"
In 2015, The Rock was in negotiations to star and produce the remake of John Carpenter's cult classic "Big Trouble in Little China," written by "X-Men: First Class" scribes Ashley Miller and Zach Stentz.
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"The Janson Directive"
This film is optioned, with Johnson set to take on the role of Navy SEAL Paul Janson. Universal foresees the project as potentially launching a franchise akin to its successful “Jason Bourne” series, also based on the late Robert Ludlum's best-selling novels.
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"Alpha Squad Seven"
DreamWorks won the rights to the sci-fi pic "Alpha Squad Seven" in May 2015, to which Johnson is attached to star. The film is still in script phase.

YouTube
Film about The Smashing Machine

In November, The Rock announced that he would star in and produce a film about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, also known as The Smashing Machine.
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From “Jumanji: The Next Level,” which opens Dec. 13, to “Jungle Cruise” and “John Henry and the Statesmen” — The Rock sure has some busy years ahead of him

The Rock has gone from being one of the biggest names in WWE to one of the hardest working men in Hollywood. As he continues to announce new projects via social media, TheWrap lists Dwayne Johnson's insane schedule for the upcoming years. Disclaimer: Some of these projects are in script phase or have just been announced, so are subject to changes.

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The Ultimate Guide to Dwayne Johnson's Upcoming Movie and TV Projects (Photos)

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