Not every tale of blockbuster profits is a result of record-breaking opening days and continued trips to the top of the box office standings. Sometimes, a strategy of slow and steady success sails a film smoothly into the financial black. Much like its predecessor before it, Jumanji: The Next Level has had an insane run in the weeks, and now months, following its opening last December.
With nine complete weekends in the books being recorded, the movie still hasn’t left the top 10, as it finished seventh this President’s Day weekend. Though that figure is only judging Jumanji: The Next Level’s performance across the typical 3-day span of Friday to Sunday grosses, which will undoubtedly push the needle a little more after today’s actual holiday.
As $2.4 million separates the Jake Kasdan-directed threequel from unseating 1917’s current standings for sixth place, there’s a chance that today could see the film climbing another spot on the chart. It doesn’t matter though, as Jumanji: The Next Level, which marked the return of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan’s pack of video game avatars/explorers, is still a pretty reliable hit in theaters.
Comparatively, Jumanji: The Next Level has dipped a little bit from the results that Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle brought home at this same time. In the previous film’s ninth weekend, $13.8 million came through the turnstiles and into the piggy bank of Sony Pictures, whereas Jumanji: The Next Level has an estimated $5.7 million through its typical weekend stretch.
Despite slightly lagging behind its own performance record, this is still a rare case of a movie starting out with a pretty fantastic debut, while also breaking records in the process. Not only was Jumanji: The Next Level the film that brought Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions its highest opening ever, but it was also the biggest opening for a December comedy, as well as the largest start for a Sony Pictures film in that same month.
With records broken, audiences pleased and a continued pattern of success marked by the standings according to Box Office Mojo, what could we see as a result of Jumanji: The Next Level’s stardom? The most obvious scenario would see Jumanji 4 officially getting the green light in the near future, as not only does the third film in the series overall heavily tease another installment, the public is clearly not tired of this new rebranding of Jumanji just yet.
As Sony has successfully revived this particular brand, while also enjoying another continued success with Bad Boys For Life still standing in the top 5 at the box office, it would seem that the studio has found itself two blockbuster pillars to stand alongside its Spider-Man-flavored properties.
The next couple of weeks should be fun, as Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle finally tapped out of the top 10 in its 14th week. Could Jumanji: The Next Level go the distance? Or will it either fall short, or exceed that sign post? Only time will tell.
Jumanji: The Next Level is in theaters now, leveling up as we speak.
