Box-Office: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Has Lowest Opening of the New Trilogy

After much talk and varying predictions on how much it would make, Disney’s final juggernaut of 2019, “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker” debuted this week to what many would see as a solid $175.5M domestic. Although down (as expected) on the previous two installments “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi”, the final installment in the over 40-year-old saga still delivered the third-largest December opening of all time, behind its predecessors of course.

Internationally, in which many territories received the film a day earlier than the US, the film grossed $198M from over 50 markets, giving it grand total of $373.5M to begin its life span. What will be interesting here is if the films ‘mixed’ reactions affect its rewatch-ability, a factor which no doubt led to the over $2B gross of “The Force Awakens” and the $1.3B haul of “The Last Jedi”, the latter of which Disney will hope its epic conclusion will be within touching distance of once its run ends. 

For the second time in two years, a “Jumanji” film found itself facing off against a galaxy far far away, and much like in 2017, held its own nicely. Sony’s sequel, “Jumanji: The Next Level” scored around $26.1M this weekend, lifting its overall domestic tally to over $100M, and it will hope to replicate the first film in continuing to gross healthily over the new year period. 

Overseas, the film mustered a total of $32.6M, which boosted its global standing to $312M, and that’s still with the film to debut in the likes of Australia and Italy. 

In third this week is Disney’s long-lasting “Frozen 2”. The animated sequel managed another $12.3M domestic, which when added to its international haul, has lifted the film beyond $1.1B worldwide, which sits the film fourth on the all-time list for animated Movies, beyond “Toy Story 3”, “Toy Story 4”, and “Despicable Me 3”. 

In fourth is another new release, and one of the years most eagerly anticipated releases, all be it for all the wrong reasons. Ravaged by critics since its review embargo lifted this week, Universal’s and Tom Hooper’s “Cats” limped to a dreadful $6.5M domestic and $11M internationally. However, it seems there are even bigger problems for Universal, who have seemingly rolled out a newer version of the Movie to cinemas with ‘updated visual effects’ following many complaints that real hands and feet were still on show. All in all, an unprecedented disaster for Universal, and one sure to hit them hard financially over the coming weeks. 

In fifth this week and still flying the flag for original cinema is Rian Johnson and Lionsgate’s “Knives Out”. The film added $6.1M, lifting its domestic total to $89M as it continues to inch toward the $100M benchmark, whilst globally the film is also inching to double that, standing now at $185.6M. 

Lionsgate’s other possible Oscar contender “Bombshell” also continued its wide roll out this week, taking $5M from over 1400 locations, but below industry expectations, but which must be taken with a pinch of salt due to “Star Wars”. 

Next week sees fair few films go wide over the Christmas period with A24’s “Uncut Gems” starring Adam Sandler, Sony’s Greta Gerwig directed “Little Women”, and Fox’s animated spy flick “Spies In Disguise”. Whilst Warner Bros and Universal will also test the water with limited releases in the form of “Just Mercy” and “1917”.

1. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – $175.5M
2. Jumanji: The Next Level – $26M
3. Frozen II – $12M
4. Cats – $6.5M
5. Knives Out – $6.1M
6. Bombshell – $5M
7. Richard Jewell – $2.6M
8. Queen & Slim – $1.85M
10. Black Christmas – $1.8M
10. Ford v Ferrari – $1.8M