‘Last Jedi’ unseats ‘Beauty and the Beast’
Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — The Force remains strong with “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” as the latest installment of the “Star Wars” saga was projected to become the highest-grossing film of 2017 on the final day of the year.
Disney’s space odyssey grossed $52.4 million Friday through Sunday, bringing its projected 2017 gross to $517.1 million, edging out fellow Disney property “Beauty and the Beast,” which grossed $504 million earlier in the year.
Although “The Last Jedi” is projected to win the weekend proper, Sony’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” may proveto carry the holiday.
The reboot of 1995’s “Jumanji” took in $50.57 million at the box office Friday through Sunday, but strong New Year’s Day projections have the movie earning $67 million through Monday, surpassing the holiday weekend projections for “The Last Jedi” at $65.6 million.
“Jumanji” is expected to gross $186.3 million through Monday in its second weekend of release.
The rest of the top five at the box office remains in stasis from the previous weekend.
Universal’s “Pitch Perfect 3” lands at No. 3. The latest a cappella adventure of the Bellas earned $17.78 million Friday through Sunday, bringing the film’s cumulative gross to $64.27 million in its secondweekend of release.
Fox’s “The Greatest Showman” is holding strong at No. 4 at the box office, grossing more over the New Year’s holiday than it did in its first weekend of release. The tale of P.T. Barnum starring Hugh Jackman grossed an estimated $15.27 million through Sunday.
Fox’s “Ferdinand” held steady in its third weekend of release, earning $11.65 million Friday through Sunday, good enough for a top five finish at the box office.
“Coco,” the latest offering from Disney’s Pixar, continues to score. Landing at No. 6 at the weekend box office, the film earned $6.6 million in its sixth week of release, bringing its domestic cumulative gross to $178.9 million.
Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill continues to perform. Focus Features’ “Darkest Hour” added $5.28 million to its box office gross through Sunday, bringing its domestic cumulative gross to $17.927 million in its fifth weekend of release.
“All the Money in the World” landed at No. 8 in its first full weekend of release. The true story of the kidnapping of J. Paul Getty’s grandson opened Christmas Day and earned $5.45 million Friday through Sunday. The Sony picture starring Christopher Plummer as a late substitute for a role Kevin Spacey had already filmed has grossed $12.64 million.
Paramount’s quirky comedy “Downsizing,” centered around shrinking humans to combat overpopulation, continues to have undersized box-office earnings. Directed by Alexander Payne and starring Matt Damon, the film earned $4.6 million through Sunday in its second week of release. “Downsizing” has cumulatively grossed $17 million.
Finally, rounding out the top 10 is Warner Bros.’ “Father Figures,” starring Owen Wilson and Ed Helms. The comedy about fraternal twins in search of their biological father earned $4.7 million in its second weekend of release, bringing its cumulativegross to $12.74 million.