‘Jungle Cruise’ sails atop box office despite COVID concerns
Despite growing concerns over the Delta variant of the coronavirus, “Jungle Cruise” still drew moviegoers out to theaters during the film’s opening weekend to sail atop the North American box office.
The Disney film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt exceeded expectations by pulling in more than $34.1 million over the weekend. The adventure movie was estimated to open with around $25 million to $30 million domestically, but it outpaced those numbers despite the surge in coronavirus cases.
Globally, “Jungle Cruise” brought in a total of $90 million, including $27.6 million at the international box office and more than $30 million from Disney+.
Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt and the ‘Jungle Cruise’ filmmakers discuss honoring, and updating, the beloved Disneyland ride for a big-screen adventure.
“Jungle Cruise” also earned five times more than “The Green Knight,” which came in at No. 2 with $6.78 million. The A24 film starring Dev Patel barely edged M. Night Shyamalan’s “Old,” which had $6.76 million after scoring the top spot last weekend.
“Black Widow” placed fourth after a week of turmoil between Disney and the film’s lead, Scarlett Johansson. Johansson sued the studio over the film’s streaming release, which she said breached her contract and deprived her of potential earnings.
Disney responded to the actor’s claim saying she received $20 million in compensation and that she benefited from the Disney+ revenue.
Matt Damon’s “Stillwater” opened at No. 5 with $5.1 million but faced criticism as well. The drama film was blasted by Amanda Knox, who spoke out last week about her name being associated with the new movie, saying any connection ripped off her story with her consent at the “expense of my reputation.”
Amanda Knox took aim at Tom McCarthy and Matt Damon’s new film, ‘Stillwater,’ for profiting ‘off my name, face, & story without my consent,’ she says.
Knox called out the film’s director, Tom McCarthy, in a series of tweets for using her name to promote the movie.
“Space Jam: A New Legacy” has progressively dropped to No. 6 after going No. 1 two weeks ago. “Snake Eyes” fell to seventh after the film starring Henry Golding as the warrior-in-training debuted at No. 2 last week.
“F9: The Fast Saga” placed eighth at the box office. The film pulled in $2.6 million and totaled more than $168 million domestically after six weeks.
“Escape Room: Tournament of Champions” and “The Boss Baby: Family Business” rounded out the top 10.
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