While the studio attempted to downplay expectations, Sony’s Jumanji: The Next Level opened at the top end of industry expectations, leading the weekend charge with a December studio record opening and getting the box office off to a strong start for the holiday frame.
Though, it has to be mentioned, that strong start didn’t trickle down to the weekend’s two other new wide releases as both Universal and Blumhouse’s Black Christmas and WB’s Richard Jewell fell well below expectations.The $60.1 million opening for Jumanji: The Next Level is the 13th largest December opening ever and the largest December debut for Sony.
While the film will have to contend next weekend with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the opening weekend performance, along with a strong audience reaction — which gave the film an “A-” CinemaScore — puts it in a fantastic position heading into the Christmas holiday frame.
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