Three new wide releases battled three likely Oscar contenders for moviegoers’ attention this weekend, only for all six to lose to Sony Corp.’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” The reboot of the 1995 Robin Williams film brought in $20 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters to top the box office for the third straight week, researcher ComScore Inc. estimated Sunday in an email.
Three new wide releases — “Den of Thieves,” “12 Strong” and “Forever My Girl” — vied against three awards-targeting movies that were expanding into more theaters this weekend: “Call Me by Your Name,” “I, Tonya” and “Phantom Thread.”
The new “Jumanji,” which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, is giving Sony its longest winning streak for a single film since “Black Hawk Down,” released in late 2001. The company could also be in contention for an Oscar with coming-of-age tale “Call Me By Your Name.”
Warner Bros.’ “12 Strong,” featuring Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon, tells the tale of special forces soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It placed second with $16.5 million, handily beating a forecast of $12 million, according to analysts at BoxOfficePro. It split critics with 54 percent positive reviews, according to aggregator RottenTomatoes.com.
“Den of Thieves,” from STX Entertainment, is an R-rated crime drama featuring rapper 50 Cent and Gerard Butler, about an elite unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that faces off against the state’s most successful bank-robbery crew. It collected $15.3 million and landed in third place, compared with Box Office Mojo’s prediction for a $6 million debut. Critics gave only 33 percent positive reviews.
“Forever My Girl,” via Roadside Attractions, was panned by critics, securing only 19 percent positive reviews. Based on a novel by Heidi McLaughlin about a country music star who comes home to his childhood sweetheart, it came in 10th place with $4.7 million.
