Walt Disney Co.'s "Jungle Cruise," based on a theme-park ride, opened as the top film in North American theaters last weekend, collecting a higher-than-expected $34 million sales in a still-tough climate for the nation's movie theaters.
"Jungle Cruise" features Dwayne Johnson as captain of an Amazon riverboat. His passenger, played by Emily Blunt, is seeking the flowers of a plant with healing powers. The film cost about $200 million to make, according to trade reports, and drew generally upbeat reviews, with 62% of critics recommending the picture at Rotten Tomatoes, a website that aggregates critics' comment.
The movie's debut sales exceeded industry's expectation of about $30 million, according to market researcher BoxofficePro. It said the film could take in up to $135 million in domestic ticket sales during its full theatrical run.
"In this pandemic-challenged market place, it overperformed," said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "It didn't really seem like the streaming component hurt the box office in any significant way. The movie theater is still showing its resilience and appeal to moviegoers despite the fact that there's so much news everyday, most of it not moving in the right direction, in terms of the pandemic."
With covid-19 cases on the rise again, theaters still face a difficult climate. Studios like Disney are trying to maximize revenue by giving film fans the chance to stay at home and watch new releases. New movies give the entertainment giants a showcase for their new streaming services.
"The market is vulnerable right now," said David A. Gross, who runs Franchise Entertainment Research. "There's covid, there's simultaneous streaming, there's piracy, there's the nature of the movies themselves -- different factors for each film. Simultaneous streaming does appear to reduce a movie's income in total across all windows."
"The Green Knight," a fantasy take on the King Arthur story from A24, opened in second place with $6.78 million in sales, researcher Comscore Inc. said Sunday. Last weekend's leader, the M. Night Shyamalan horror film "Old," landed in the third place with revenues of $6.76 million for Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures.
"Black Widow" placed fourth after a past week of turmoil between Disney and the film's lead, Scarlett Johansson. The actor sued the studio over the film's streaming release, which she said breached her contract and deprived her of potential earnings.
Disney countered that it paid Johansson $20 million and that the suit is without merit.
In a statement Sunday, Disney said, "We remain focused on offering consumer choice during these unprecedented times, and it is clear that fans and families value the ability to make decisions on how they prefer to enjoy Disney's best-in-class storytelling."
Because of the continuing coronavirus threat around the world, Disney noted, "markets are open to varying degrees, and not all exhibitors are currently open. Capacity restrictions are also in place in most markets." About 85% of the theaters in North America are open, according to Comscore.
Matt Damon's "Stillwater" opened at No. 5 with $5.1 million but faced criticism as well. The drama was blasted by Amanda Knox, who spoke out last week about her name being associated with the new movie, saying any connection rips off her story without her consent at the "expense of my reputation."
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 reaching 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.
Dergarabedian wondered how the news on coronavirus cases would affect moviegoers' decision to watch films at theaters. He thinks the appeal of the film like "Suicide Squad" -- opening domestically today in theaters and streamed on HBO Max -- will play a role whether they go or not.
"If people feel comfortable and safe, and adhere to the protocols, I think we could see a good number on that movie, even though its available at home," Dergarabedian said. "This market is being driven by the product."