The Rock and Kevin Hart are looking to take things to the next level with the release of their latest film.
Jumanji: The Next Level is a sequel to the 2017 hit that wound up making an outstanding $404 million in North America. That was an unexpected success, becoming the most successful Sony picture up to that time, so of course, a sequel would have to come up. The main players are back, including Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Hart and Dwayne Johnson, along with new faces Danny DeVito and Danny Glover. Reviews have been fair and no doubt the studio is hoping for the film to have strong legs over the holidays and into 2020. Look for Jumanji: The Next Level to debut at number one with $50 million.
Also new this weekend is Black Christmas, a Blumhouse production and remake of the original 1974 film (not the 2006 remake). It’s being released on Friday the 13th so there’s so hopefully it will find a horror audience up for some chills this weekend. Look for a third place debut with $15 million.
The final new release this weekend is Richard Jewell, the Clint Eastwood-directed true story of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, and its aftermath, where the title character, security guard Richard Jewell discovered a bomb and alerted authorities to evacuate, only to then be wrongly accused of putting it there himself. The film will definitely be counter-programming to Jumanji and Black Christmas and should find itself an adult audience. Look for a fourth place debut with $12 million.
As for the rest of the top five, Frozen II will drop to second place with $23 million, while Knives Out will close things out in fifth place with $10 million.
So, to recap, here are our predictions:
1) Jumanji: The Next Level – $50 million
2) Frozen II – $23 million
3) Black Christmas – $15 million
4) Richard Jewell – $12 million
5) Knives Out – $10 million
Be sure to check back on Sunday to see how the weekend turns out!
