Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle is likely to give up its three-week reign at number one to Maze Runner: The Death Cure, one of two wide releases to close out January.
The Maze Runner franchise has actually quietly made a decent amount of money since it debuted back in 2014. The first film opened to $32.5 million and grossed $102.4 million domestically and $245.8 million worldwide, all on a $34 million budget. The sequel, released in 2015, opened to $30.3 million and tapped out at $81.6 million domestic and $230.6 million worldwide. The budget was higher at $61 million but the film was still hit.
At this point, this final installment is for the fans and they should come out for this but the opening will be lower this time around. The sequel had a little bit of an immediate rush factor since it came out a year after the first film but this third installment was delayed nearly a year so its star, Dylan O’Brien, could recover from injuries sustained during the shooting of the film. The reviews aren’t great but they’re not dreadful either (45% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing) and most critics suggest that the film is for the fans and they will likely find something to enjoy here. The film got started overseas last weekend in three markets and opened impressively to $15 million so by the end of its run, the worldwide gross will likely allow the franchise to end on a positive note. The budget is $62 million, just $1 million higher than the previous film, and while the domestic take is likely to match that by the end of its run, the overseas total should be substantial enough for it to pull a profit. As of now, I’m calling for an opening in the $20-25 million range.
Expanding this weekend is Hostiles, starring Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike. The historical drama opened back in December and has only been in 49 locations until this weekend when it will expand to 2,850 locations. The film is decently reviewed at 71% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing and there was even a little Oscar buzz on its side before going wide but it didn’t receive any love from the Academy when nominations were announced on Tuesday. That being said, it’s another solid option for adults at the movies and I can see it surging to about $10-12 million this weekend.
Check back on Monday for the final box office results!
