‘Jumanji’ Remains No. 1 With $34 Million While ‘The Post’ Hits $22 Million at MLK Box Office

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” also joins the top 10 highest grossing films of all time

Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle
Frank Masi/Sony Pictures

There is no stopping “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” as it increased its estimate for this four-day weekend to $34 million. That brings the film’s running domestic total to $291 million by Monday’s end, and this coming week it will become the eighth film of 2017 to gross over $300 million in North America.

Meanwhile, the film at the top of that 2017 list, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” officially passed “Beauty and the Beast” today to become the highest grossing worldwide release of 2017 with $1.265 billion, also entering the top 10 highest grossing films of all time. The blockbuster is estimated to make $14.7 million this weekend, pushing its total domestically to $$591.5 million. This week, it will become the sixth film to gross over $600 million in North America.

Sitting in between “Jumanji” and “Star Wars” at No. 2 this weekend is Fox’s “The Post,” which is making an estimated $22 million in its first weekend in wide release at 2,819 screens. Steven Spielberg’s ode to journalists has been a hit with audiences and critics alike with an 88 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and an A on CinemaScore. The film is expected to be a constant presence at the box office through awards season, as its timely nature is giving it good word of mouth.

Fox is also getting great word of mouth for “The Greatest Showman,” which continues to hang tough in the top five with a $15 million four-day weekend. The circus musical looked like it wasn’t going to stick around at the box office after a $14 million four-day opening on Christmas weekend, but it has shown remarkable legs and will pass the $100 million mark this coming week. With a reported production budget of $84 million, it’s not going to make much of a profit, but it’s also not going to end up flopping, as it appeared to be upon release.

Leading new releases this weekend is Lionsgate’s “The Commuter,” which hit independent tracker expectations with an estimated $15 million four-day start. But trackers had higher expectations for Warner Bros.’ “Paddington 2” and Screen Gems’ “Proud Mary,” and both have ended up opening outside the top five.

“Paddington 2” was projected for an opening around $20 million, which would have been a solid follow-up to the $25 million opening its predecessor made in this release slot two years ago. Instead, it’s looking at an opening of around $14.5 million from 3,702. With Saturday’s estimates sitting around $13 million, it’s looking like matinees aren’t going to push the needle for this film.

The weak start may be due in part to the fact that WB purchased the film from the struggling Weinstein Company just two months ago, meaning that the studio didn’t have an opportunity to run a full marketing campaign. “Paddington 2” will now have to rely on word of mouth to give it a “Greatest Showman”-esque rebound. The good news is that it may get that, as “Paddington 2” has a flawless critical record: an A on CinemaScore and a remarkable 100 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Proud Mary,” on the other hand, has a much bleaker outlook, making just $11.5 million from 2,125 screens with a B+ on CinemaScore and a 23 percent RT score. It’s a disappointing result for lead star Taraji P. Henson, who was the queen of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend last year as the lead of “Hidden Figures,” making $27.5 million in its first weekend in wide release.

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