After the amazing success ofJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Sony Pictures is already planningJumanji 3, while eyeing a possible December 2019 date that would put it up against the highly-anticipatedStar Wars 9. Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman has yet to officially putJumanji 3on their release date calendar at this time, but the unconventionalbox office successofJumanji: Welcome to the Junglehas the chairman eager for this sequel to come together, after succeeding in the monstrous shadow ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi. Here’s what Tom Rothman had to say about why he decided to openJumanji: Welcome to the JungleagainstStar Wars: The Last Jedi.
“From early on looking at the footage, it was clear this was a Christmas movie families would want to see together. I thought we could spit in the giant’s eye.”
Star Wars: The Last Jediopened on December 15, and, as expected, it posted the biggest opening weekend of the year, pulling in $220 million, the second best all time behindStar Wars: The Force Awakens' $247.9 million.Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungleopened just five days later on December 20, along with Paramount’sDownsizing, Universal’sPitch Perfect 3and 20th Century Fox’sThe Greatest Showman, and while this newJumanjiadventure, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, opened in second place with a respectable $36.1 million, its performances in the following weeks were even more impressive. Producer Matt Tolmach revealed that the 22-year gap between the originalJumanjiand this new adventure actually benefited the movie.
“Jumanjiis a brand that is remembered fondly but the fact that the last movie came out long ago gave us a freedom to make it feel fresh for a new generation.”
In its second weekend at the box office,Jumanjiactually posted a 38.4% increase from the previous weekend, taking in just over $50 million, while still coming in second place toStar Wars: The Last Jedi, but in January, the movie has simply dominated at the box office, winning three weekends in a row by posting minimal decreases of just 25.6%, 24.5% and 30.6%, respectively. Earlier this week,Jumanji passed Skyfallto become Sony’s biggest hit that isn’t aSpider-Manmovie, and it’s possible it could pass some of those Spidey movies as well, at some point.
Jumanjiset an unconventional box office record by becoming the first movie ever to not open at the #1 spot at the box office, and still go on to make over $300 million domestically. The movie had been in on-and-off development for years until 2014, when writer Chris McKenna (Spider-Man: Homecoming,Ant-Man and the Wasp) came up with the idea to change it from aJumanji board gameto aJumanjivideo game where a group of teenagers inhabit the video game avatars.Jumanji: Welcome to the Junglecurrently sits at $319.4 million domestic and $771.2 million worldwide, from just a $90 million budget.
This report fromThe Wall Street Journaldoesn’t reveal a specific release date, but Disney will roll outStar Wars 9on December 20. If Sony sticks with the same formula, of releasingJumanjiin theaters five days afterStar Wars, that could mean the studio is eyeing a Christmas Day release forJumanji 3. Nothing is set in stone at this time, but given the immense success ofJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sony give the official green light forJumanji 3sooner rather than later.
