Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” is off to a solid start at the box office, opening above tracker expectations of a $25 million opening as it is now estimated for a $32 million launch from 4,310 locations.
The Disneyland-inspired adventure film grossed $13.3 million on Friday, ahead of the $7.7 million opening day of “Cruella” back in May.
The full financial outlook of the film isn’t clear yet as “Jungle Cruise” is also being released as a $30 premium paid streaming title on Disney+, but the film has won over Johnson’s fans and family audiences with an A– on CinemaScore and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes to go with a 62% critics score.
Below “Jungle Cruise” is a narrow race for second between two holdovers — Universal’s “Old” and Disney/Marvel’s “Black Widow” — and A24 newcomer “The Green Knight.” “Old” is currently projected to finish in the No. 2 spot with a $6.6 million second weekend, a 60% drop from the film’s $16.8 million opening that gives it a $30.5 million 10-day total.
“The Green Knight” is just behind with $2.87 million grossed on Friday and an estimated $6.4 million opening from 2,790 locations. That puts the film just above “Black Widow,” which is estimated to earn $5.8 million in its fourth weekend for a $166 million running domestic total.
Like many past A24 wide releases such as “Midsommar” and “It Comes At Night,” “The Green Knight” has won over critics but received a mixed reaction from audiences. The David Lowery fantasy starring Dev Patel has an 89% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes but has a 59% audience score and a C+ on CinemaScore.
Completing the top five is Focus Features’ “Stillwater,” which is estimated for a $4.5 million opening from 2,531 screens. The Tom McCarthy drama starring Matt Damon and Abigail Breslin has a 74% RT critics score, 76% audience score and a B- on CinemaScore.