‘Jungle Cruise’ Heading To Estimated $32 Million Debut

Variety.com: All aboard the “Jungle Cruise” — the Disney film, starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, is riding to an estimated $32 million opening weekend at the domestic box office.

“Jungle Cruise,” based on the famed Disney theme park ride, took in $13.378 million from 4,310 theaters on Friday. Despite the delta variant possibly deterring some moviegoers, if the film meets industry predictions — which range from $28 million to $32 million — it will debut on par with the opening weekend of a “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”

The film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and also starring Jesse Plemons, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall and Paul Giamatti, is also available to rent on Disney Plus for $30. This release strategy has recently caused controversy, with “Black Widow” star Scarlett Johansson filing a breach of contract lawsuit against the company for allegedly costing her millions of dollars in profit participation.

Coming behind “Jungle Cruise” on the domestic charts is M. Night Shyamalan’s “Old,” which brought in $2.09 million on Friday from 3,379 theaters. The thriller, which topped the box office charts in its opening weekend, is expected to bring its haul to $30.5 million in its second week of release.

A24’s “The Green Knight” debuted at an impressive third place, making $2.79 million on Friday from 2,790 locations. The fantasy adaptation, starring Dev Patel, is poised to end its first weekend at the box office with a cume of $6.36 million. Meanwhile, “Black Widow” is holding its own at No. 4, earning $1.934 million on Friday and set to bring its total to $167 million.

Cannes darling “Stillwater,” directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Matt Damon, is expected to round out the top five, having raked in $1.84 million on Friday from 2,531 theaters. The drama, about a father visiting his daughter in prison overseas for a crime she didn’t commit, is poised to debut with a total of $4.5 million this weekend.