The 10-Digit Club
This weekend, Disney’s Frozen 2 became the eighth film from 2019 to earn $1B globally.
Through Sunday, the animated sequel has earned $666.0M overseas (led by $111.5M in China) and $366.4M domestically, for $1.03B total.
The original Frozen was 2013’s highest-grossing film globally, with $1.27B. The sequel tentatively looks likely to match or exceed that number, although not its yearly rank.
(Frozen 2 will end likely end up as 2019’s #4 movie globally at best, behind Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.)
Eight billion-dollar movies in 2019 represents a new record, up from four and five such films in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Six of the eight such films this year are from Disney.
And the year isn’t done, either. Jumanji: The Next Level is a possible $1B contender as well, while Disney’s fellow Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is guaranteed.
Leveling Up
Sony’s fantasy action comedy sequel Jumanji: The Next Level led the box office with $59.25M. That’s an impressive +63.8% over the opening of 2017’s original Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Although the comparison may be a bit skewed, because original was more of a slow burn rather than a big opener, earning a very rare 12 weekends in the top 10. For context, it had been more than a year since the prior film to do so: La La Land.
Level has now earned $153.5M overseas, after being released earlier this month in certain markets, led by $38.2M so far in China.
Read our interview with Jumanji: The Next Level director Jake Kasdan here.
Limited Releases
A24’s crime dramedy Uncut Gems earned the second-best per-theater average of 2019. Opening with $537,242 on 5 screens, it averaged $107,448. That’s behind only October’s Parasite which opened with an average of $131,072.
Lionsgate’s political Bombshell began with $131,072 on four screens, averaging $79,253. That would be bigger news if not for Uncut Gems besting it simultaneously, yet still represents the fifth-best average of 2019, behind Parasite, Uncut Gems, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, and The Farewell.
The Band Didn’t Play On
STX’s animated Playmobil fell -78.1%, the 19th sharpest sophomore weekend drop of all time.
It’s also the third sharpest sophomore weekend drop of 2019, behind -86.3% for The Wizard of Oz re-release and -81.5% for Replicas.
Not the Crown Jewell
Warner Bros.’ drama thriller Richard Jewell was about a bomb and tentatively looks like a bomb, with a fourth place debut of $4.68M. That was far below the $10M to $14M range for most projections.
The audience was 58% male and 83% over age 25. The film earned an “A” CinemaScore.
Could this could be the kind of movie that lasts long, rather than opening big? Director Clint Eastwood’s mid-December release last year, the thematically similar drama thriller The Mule, earned a very impressive 5.92x multiple relative to its opening gross — among the best multiples of 2018.
A Black Eye for the Box Office
Universal’s holiday-themed horror thriller Black Christmas hardly decked the halls. With a fifth place opening of $4.2M, it fell well below the $8M to $12M range for most projections.
The audience was 54% female and 43% under age 25. Earning a “D+” CinemaScore from moviegoers, the title looks likely to fade fast.
How’d This Weekend Compare?
Total box office this weekend was $117.1M. That’s +29.8% above last weekend but -2.7% below this same weekend last year, when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse led with $35.3M.
The Year So Far
Year-to-date box office stands at $10.45B. That’s -5.7% behind this same date last year, up from -5.8% after last weekend.
Monday’s Weekend Actuals (Domestic)
FRI, DEC. 13 – SUN, DEC. 15
| # | TITLE | WEEKEND | LOCATIONS | AVG. | TOTAL | WKS. | DIST. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jumanji: The Next Level | $59,251,543 | — | 4,227 | — | $14,017 | $59,251,543 | 1 | Sony Pictures |
| 2 | Frozen II | $19,072,948 | -46% | 4,078 | -270 | $4,677 | $366,433,020 | 4 | Disney |
| 3 | Knives Out | $9,138,699 | -36% | 3,413 | -48 | $2,678 | $78,815,947 | 3 | Lionsgate |
| 4 | Richard Jewell | $4,680,124 | — | 2,502 | — | $1,871 | $4,680,124 | 1 | Warner Bros. |
| 5 | Black Christmas | $4,240,245 | — | 2,625 | — | $1,615 | $4,240,245 | 1 | Universal Pictures |
| 6 | Ford v. Ferrari | $4,080,749 | -39% | 2,895 | -851 | $1,410 | $98,185,543 | 5 | 20th Century Fox |
| 7 | Queen & Slim | $3,583,680 | -46% | 1,560 | -155 | $2,297 | $33,158,550 | 3 | Universal Pictures |
| 8 | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | $3,276,920 | -37% | 2,855 | -636 | $1,148 | $49,251,811 | 4 | Sony Pictures |
| 9 | Dark Waters | $1,897,650 | -53% | 2,110 | 98 | $899 | $8,786,824 | 4 | Focus Features |
| 10 | 21 Bridges | $1,183,802 | -59% | 1,533 | -932 | $772 | $26,355,168 | 4 | STX Entertainment |
| 11 | Midway | $871,787 | -55% | 1,419 | -681 | $614 | $55,211,634 | 6 | Lionsgate |
| 12 | Playing with Fire | $665,013 | -67% | 1,381 | -872 | $482 | $43,259,831 | 6 | Paramount Pictures |
| 13 | Playmobil: The Movie | $143,735 | -78% | 1,458 | -879 | $99 | $966,458 | 2 | STX Entertainment |
| # | TITLE | WEEKEND | LOCATIONS | AVG. | TOTAL | WKS. | DIST. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parasite | $632,485 | -10% | 306 | -27 | $2,067 | $20,350,204 | 10 | NEON |
| 2 | Joker | $472,341 | -53% | 553 | -403 | $854 | $333,042,715 | 11 | Warner Bros. |
| 3 | Last Christmas | $458,310 | -55% | 616 | -644 | $744 | $34,399,150 | 6 | Universal Pictures |
| 4 | Harriet | $424,685 | -49% | 640 | -360 | $664 | $41,747,850 | 7 | Focus Features |
| 5 | Jojo Rabbit | $372,306 | -34% | 400 | -179 | $931 | $19,979,070 | 9 | Fox Searchlight |
| 6 | Honey Boy | $240,100 | -45% | 387 | -73 | $620 | $2,630,044 | 6 | Amazon Studios |
| 7 | The Good Liar | $181,472 | -62% | 304 | -483 | $597 | $16,638,234 | 5 | Warner Bros. |
| 8 | Maleficent: Mistress of Evil | $165,753 | -69% | 345 | -383 | $480 | $112,722,384 | 9 | Disney |
| 9 | Terminator: Dark Fate | $133,193 | -59% | 250 | -181 | $533 | $62,077,463 | 7 | Paramount |
| 10 | Waves | $112,286 | -73% | 281 | -289 | $400 | $1,399,931 | 5 | A24 |
| 11 | No Safe Spaces | $108,075 | -64% | 165 | -35 | $655 | $1,031,860 | 8 | Atlas Distribution |
| 12 | Zombieland: Double Tap | $84,158 | -56% | 162 | -104 | $519 | $72,690,421 | 9 | Sony Pictures |
| 13 | Doctor Sleep | $81,067 | -76% | 188 | -342 | $431 | $31,414,419 | 6 | Warner Bros. |
| 14 | Abominable | $74,670 | -24% | 159 | -15 | $470 | $60,409,765 | 12 | Universal Pictures |
| 15 | En Brazos de un Asesino | $67,035 | -70% | 160 | 0 | $419 | $372,955 | 2 | Lionsgate / Pantelion Films |
| 16 | Panipat | $62,581 | -79% | 104 | -74 | $602 | $461,863 | 2 | Reliance Entertainment |
| 17 | Charlie’s Angels | $54,131 | -75% | 108 | -595 | $501 | $17,657,824 | 5 | Sony Pictures |
| 18 | Countdown | $44,896 | -61% | 110 | -67 | $408 | $25,522,872 | 8 | STX Entertainment |
| # | TITLE | WEEKEND | LOCATIONS | AVG. | TOTAL | WKS. | DIST. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uncut Gems | $537,242 | — | 5 | — | $107,448 | $537,242 | 1 | A24 |
| 2 | Bombshell | $317,014 | — | 4 | — | $79,254 | $317,014 | 1 | Lionsgate |
| 3 | A Hidden Life | $50,383 | — | 5 | — | $10,077 | $50,383 | 1 | Fox Searchlight |
| 4 | Pain and Glory | $48,635 | -13% | 78 | 0 | $624 | $3,695,666 | 11 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 5 | The Lighthouse | $48,437 | -35% | 50 | -32 | $969 | $10,627,265 | 9 | A24 |
| 6 | 63 Up | $43,250 | 110% | 20 | 18 | $2,163 | $100,019 | 3 | BritBox |
| 7 | Black and Blue | $40,843 | -55% | 62 | -60 | $659 | $21,981,411 | 8 | Sony / Screen Gems |
| 8 | Motherless Brooklyn | $27,636 | 54% | 71 | 26 | $389 | $9,260,977 | 7 | Warner Bros. |
| 9 | Downton Abbey | $24,125 | -50% | 58 | -59 | $416 | $96,839,670 | 13 | Focus Features |
| 10 | Cunningham | $18,422 | — | 4 | — | $4,606 | $18,422 | 1 | Magnolia Pictures |
| 11 | Arctic Dogs | $15,383 | -59% | 82 | -58 | $188 | $5,734,507 | 7 | Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures |
| 12 | The Kingmaker | $14,186 | 256% | 18 | 12 | $788 | $86,300 | 6 | Greenwich Entertainment |
| 13 | Judy | $13,902 | 34% | 46 | 14 | $302 | $23,970,861 | 12 | Roadside Attractions / LD Entertainment |
| 14 | Promare | $10,420 | -98% | 15 | -597 | $695 | $2,273,556 | 13 | GKIDS |
| 15 | Once Upon a Time In Hollywood | $9,929 | -44% | 26 | -23 | $382 | $141,047,060 | 21 | Sony Pictures |
| 16 | Hustlers | $8,679 | 5% | 23 | -7 | $377 | $104,949,177 | 14 | STX Entertainment |
| 17 | Varda by Agnes | $7,914 | -65% | 6 | -3 | $1,319 | $85,427 | 4 | Janus Films |
| 18 | Mickey and the Bear | $7,551 | -24% | 20 | 11 | $378 | $50,481 | 5 | Utopia |
| 19 | Synonyms | $5,914 | 19% | 8 | 1 | $739 | $166,916 | 8 | Kino Lorber |
| 20 | Spiral Farm | $5,475 | — | 3 | — | $1,825 | $5,475 | 1 | Indican Pictures |
| 21 | Midnight Family | $5,313 | 75% | 3 | 2 | $1,771 | $9,989 | 2 | 1091 |
| 22 | Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice | $4,802 | 36% | 8 | -7 | $600 | $4,225,401 | 15 | Greenwich Entertainment |
| 23 | Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter’s Tale | $4,680 | -86% | 6 | -86 | $780 | $88,193 | 2 | Trafalgar Releasing |
| 24 | Frankie | $4,407 | -30% | 17 | -12 | $259 | $161,375 | 8 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 25 | Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound | $3,336 | — | 7 | — | $477 | $51,605 | 8 | Matson Films |
| 26 | The Current War | $2,967 | -76% | 25 | -35 | $119 | $5,975,192 | 8 | 101 Studios |
| 27 | The Peanut Butter Falcon | $2,710 | -53% | 9 | -10 | $301 | $20,455,629 | 19 | Roadside Attractions |
| 28 | Kind Hearts and Coronets (2019 Re-Issue) | $2,445 | -39% | 1 | 0 | $2,445 | $24,147 | 3 | Rialto Pictures |
| 29 | Little Joe | $2,224 | -79% | 6 | -6 | $371 | $18,991 | 2 | Magnolia Pictures |
| 30 | The Disappearance of My Mother | $2,112 | -32% | 2 | 1 | $1,056 | $15,383 | 2 | Kino Lorber |
| 31 | White Snake | $1,911 | 49% | 6 | 2 | $319 | $33,904 | 5 | GKIDS |
| 32 | Better Days | $1,488 | -27% | 1 | 0 | $1,488 | $1,921,657 | 6 | Well Go USA Entertainment |
| 33 | Mr. Klein | $1,346 | -37% | 1 | 0 | $1,346 | $183,822 | 15 | Rialto Pictures |
| 34 | Temblores | $1,316 | -61% | 5 | 1 | $263 | $15,320 | 4 | Film Movement |
| 35 | Where’s My Roy Cohn? | $1,235 | 24% | 5 | 2 | $247 | $703,385 | 13 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 36 | American Dharma | $1,165 | -57% | 3 | -8 | $388 | $40,222 | 7 | Utopia |
| 37 | Give Me Liberty | $1,082 | 53% | 2 | 1 | $541 | $236,124 | 17 | Music Box Films |
| 38 | The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful | $1,056 | -69% | 1 | -1 | $1,056 | $67,114 | 5 | CJ Entertainment |
| 39 | Christ Stopped at Eboli | $1,044 | — | 1 | — | $1,044 | $75,330 | 37 | Rialto Pictures |
| 40 | Maiden | $962 | 166% | 4 | 2 | $241 | $3,161,936 | 25 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 41 | Stuffed | $956 | — | 1 | — | $956 | $11,212 | 9 | Music Box Films |
| 42 | When Lambs Become Lions | $875 | -77% | 2 | 0 | $438 | $9,337 | 4 | Oscilloscope Laboratories |
| 43 | By the Grace of God | $857 | 9% | 5 | 3 | $171 | $59,914 | 9 | Music Box Films |
| 44 | Gregory’s Girl | $389 | — | 1 | — | $389 | $7,710 | 11 | Film Movement |
| 45 | Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project | $376 | -55% | 2 | 0 | $188 | $30,501 | 5 | Zeitgeist Films |
| 46 | Anthropocene: The Human Epoch | $109 | — | 1 | — | $109 | $104,758 | 12 | Kino Lorber |
| 47 | David Crosby: Remember My Name | $107 | -41% | 2 | -1 | $54 | $732,515 | 22 | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 48 | Gift | $40 | — | 1 | — | $40 | $31,588 | 10 | Matson Films |
| 49 | Les Misérables – The Staged Concert | $25 | -100% | 1 | -391 | $25 | $430,762 | 2 | Trafalgar Releasing |
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