If someone were to ask you who the biggest movie stars in the world are, there's a good chance that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson would probably be towards the top of your list. Since his feature film debut in 2001's The Mummy Returns, Dwayne Johnson has gone from a wrestler-turned-actor into a full-fledged box office draw and the biggest action star in Hollywood. So it may come as a surprise to hear that excluding his turns in the Fast & Furious franchise, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is already The Rock's biggest live-action domestic hit, and is on its way to being his biggest live-action global hit as well.
According to Variety, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has brought in $202 million at the domestic box office since its December 20 release. The film currently stands at a global total of $406.9 million. The Fast & Furious movies are obviously the biggest films that Dwayne Johnson has been in. Since he joined the franchise in Fast Five, the films have turned into action heist adventures that rake in the big bucks at theaters around the world. But it is fascinating to hear that only two weeks into its run, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is Dwayne Johnson's highest grossing film domestically other than the movies where he's hanging out with Vin Diesel. So while The Rock has been in a lot of movies and is the key ingredient in so many action blockbusters, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle takes the cake for now. This also shows that his star power is still growing, and with the right project, audiences will really turn out.
Of course, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle had a lot going for it beyond just The Rock's star power. The movie is a reboot/semi-sequel of a beloved and nostalgic property and is riding the strength of positive reviews. Also, the movie is really an ensemble piece full of talented actors who are each draws in their own right. Jack Black has fronted films before and Kevin Hart is pretty much everywhere nowadays. Karen Gillan may be best known for Doctor Who and Guardians of the Galaxy, but she will likely continue to grow her fanbase. I would also argue that each of the four leads in this film draws in a different group of people to the theater, and despite releasing in the wake of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the reboot managed to find an audience. I think this is part counter-programming and part giving audiences something fun and different to see after they have already seen Star Wars. Plus around the holidays, audiences are up for seeing movies with family and have time to catch more than one.
While Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle may be Dwayne Johnson's biggest live-action hit other than the Fast franchise, he has a lot of upcoming projects that could top it. Later this year he will star in the video game adaptation Rampage, as well as the action-thriller Skyscraper. But where I think he will truly blow his other box office showings out of the water is when he finally enters the comic book realm as Black Adam. Whether it be in Suicide Squad 2 or his standalone film first, seeing The Rock in a comic book property has been a long time coming. Of course, there are some big movies releasing this year that don't star The Rock, so to see what they are, check out our release schedule.
