Although blockbusters are now dotting the calendar beyond the summer months, January is still mostly a dead zone. As such, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which released last month, has won the box office both weekends so far in this new year. The Dwayne Johnson vehicle has had remarkable staying power, continuing to draw in audiences while The Last Jedi slowly fades. But this weekend brings a real challenger to Jumanji's dominance: 12 Strong. But while it is possible 12 Strong could gallop its way to victory, Jumanji is predicted to edge it out for its third consecutive weekend victory.
In its fifth weekend in theaters, Jumanji is predicted to take in between $15 and $20 million, according to Variety. If it performs as expected, this would put the film's domestic box office at a whopping $320 million and push it into the top 60 domestic performing films. This would be on top of the $385 million it has already earned overseas. 12 Strong will provide a worthy challenge, but will likely not be quite strong enough, falling just short with estimates putting it between $14 and $17 million in its opening weekend. But you can never count out a movie about the military. They don't always hit, but when they do, they hit big and studios will continue to try and repeat that American Sniper success.
12 Strong tells the true story of a U.S. Special Forces team in post-9/11 Afghanistan. There the soldiers must join forces with local allies to battle the Taliban and Al Qaeda, using the tactics of the Afghani horse soldiers. Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon star in the film directed by Nicolai Fuglsig and based on a book by Doug Stanton. 12 Strong is entering the weekend with an overall mixed critical reception. While 12 Strong poses the greatest threat to Jumanji claiming another victory, there are a couple other films hitting theaters this weekend as well. The romance Forever My Girl is debuting, as well as the R-rated Den of Thieves, which is expected to pull in around $9 million. Also in the mix this weekend to round out the top five are Steven Spielberg's The Post, The Commuter and the critically acclaimed Paddington 2.
If Jumanji wins the weekend again (or frankly even if it doesn't), the movie has had an amazing run, not to mention has become Dwayne Johnson's most successful film, domestically and worldwide, that isn't a part of the Fast and Furious franchise. And in the lulls of January, it still has a fair bit of runway left. For all the biggest movies hitting theaters this year, check out our release guide, and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the latest box office news and reviews on the weekend's new releases.
