Sony’s latest “Jumanji” sequel stars Jack Black, Dwayne (“The Rock”) Johnson and Kevin Hart as a group of friends returning to the dangerous but fascinating world of the Jumanji game.
Disney’s “Frozen II” — a return to Arendelle and the magical animated world of Queen Elsa, sister Anna and the gang — took in an estimated $19.2 million for the Friday-to-Sunday period.
In third place was Lionsgate’s droll murder mystery “Knives Out,” at $9.3 million. Daniel Craig stars as a Southern detective hired by an anonymous client to unravel the bloody death of a wealthy patriarch.
Fourth spot went to new Warner Bros. release “Richard Jewell,” a revisiting of the real-life tale of an Atlanta security guard falsely accused of playing a part in the 1996 Olympics bombing.
The film sparked controversy by suggesting that a now-dead female journalist traded sex for inside information. At $5 million, it was one of the poorest openings ever for a Clint Eastwood movie.
In fifth was Universal’s new slasher film “Black Christmas,” which appropriately opened on Friday the 13th, with a $4.4 million take that nearly recouped the film’s $5 million cost.
It features a group of sorority sisters stranded on a deserted campus over the holidays — naturally, fending off a killer.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
“Ford v. Ferrari” ($4.1 million)
“Queen & Slim” ($3.6 million)
“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” ($3.4 million)
“Dark Waters” ($2 million)
“21 Bridges” ($1.2 million)
bur-bbk/sst
© Agence France-Presse