While there was little doubt exactly which film would top the box-office weekend before Christmas, what was up for debate was just how much the concluding chapter in the Skywalker saga, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker would make. Ultimately, the film took in $175.5 million domestically its opening weekend, easily dominating the weekend box-office top ten.
Despite the bawdy numbers, the film still took in less than the $220 million that the last film in the series—Star Wars: The Last Jedi—did just two years ago during its opening weekend.
In a very distant second place was last week’s top film, Jumanji: The Next Level, which made $26.1 million giving the sequel a cumulative total of $101.9 million. Even further behind that total, around half actually, was Frozen II with $12.3 million. In its fifth week of release, the animated Disney film has made $386.5 million.
The other debut this weekend, the critically derided live version of the musical Cats, made a mere $6.5 million during its first three days of release. Meanwhile, last week’s third-place film, Knives Out, fell to fifth taking in $6.1 million. This gives the Rian Johnson-directed film a four-week total of $89.6 million. Meanwhile, cracking the top ten in its second week of release was the Jay Roach directed Bombshell, starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, and a nearly unrecognizable John Lithgow as Roger Ailes. The film took in $5.1 million, finishing in sixth place while lifting its two-week tally to $5.5 million.
Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell, which was also in its second week of release, fell from the fourth spot last weekend to the seventh this time around, sporting $2.6 million and cumulative total of $9.5 million. Meanwhile, last week’s seventh-place finisher feel to eighth as Queen & Slim took in $1.9 million to give the urban crime romance a seven-week total of $36.6 million.
Plummeting from fifth-place last weekend down to ninth this go around was the holiday-themed horror remake Black Christmas, which managed $1.8 million in its second week of release. Similarly, last weekend’s sixth-place film, Ford v Ferrari, finished in the final spot this weekend with $1.8 million (just behind Black Christmas) and a six-week cumulative total of $102 million.
Again, three films left the top ten this weekend. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood departs after an impressive five-week run sporting a cumulative total of $52.5 million. Elsewhere, Dark Waters, leaves the top ten after five weeks with a more disappointing total of $10.1 million. Finally, the action crime drama, 21 Bridges, departed the top ten after making just $27.2 million over its first five weeks of release.
The box-office will undoubtedly be affected by new releases like Uncut Gems and Little Women, but it’s also possible that things could remain relatively calm and intact during the holiday weekend.
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Weekend Box-Office (December 20th – December 22nd)
- Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker…$175.5 Million
- Jumanji: The Next Level…$26.1 Million
- Frozen II…$12.3 Million
- Cats…$6.5 Million
- Knives Out…$6.1 Million
- Bombshell…$5.1 Million
- Richard Jewell…$2.6 Million
- Queen & Slim…$1.9 Million
- Black Christmas…$1.8 Million
- Ford v Ferrari…$1.8 Million
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Mike Tyrkus
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