Moviegoers have spoken and they're still hungry for war but are more interested in the terrestrial dangers of World War I, as seen in Friday box office winner 1917, rather than the epic space battles of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Director Sam Mendes' latest has gone into wide release here in the United States as we enter the second weekend of January and is already poised to be the big weekend winner.

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Image via Universal Pictures

1917 has emerged as a late-in-the-game awards season contender across a variety of categories. It seems the buzz which has followed Mendes' WWI action drama since critics first saw it back in November has finally hit audiences who are now getting the chance to check it out in theaters across the nation. The Universal Pictures release earned $14 million as of Friday. This total reflects the cumulative earnings for 1917 since it debuted in limited domestic release on December 25 with just 11 theaters showing it. That number jumped to 3,434 domestic theaters now showing the movie with a per theater average of $4,068. The film is not just a box office winner, but it's a CinemaScore winner, too, as it currently has an A- rating.

At number two is Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker with $3.92 million earned domestically through Friday — a 64% drop in week-to-week earnings. Further evidence of Rise of Skywalker's waning reign at the box office is in its per theater average. As we head into the weekend, the final chapter in Lucasfilm's epic Skywalker saga has dipped into the triple digits for the first time with a $916 per theater average. Rise of Skywalker is still showing in a large number of theaters (4,279, to be exact), so it's not entirely incorrect to guess that folks here in the U.S. have had their fill of Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren.

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Image via Paramount Pictures

Meanwhile, fellow new releases Like a Boss and Just Mercy, which has also gone into wide release here in the U.S., are sitting in the respective third and fourth slots in the box office chart. Like a Boss, starring Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish as budding beauty entrepreneurs who take what turns out to be a shady deal from an industry bigwig played by Salma Hayek, scooped up $3.9 million domestic. The Paramount Pictures release earned a B CinemaScore and is currently averaging $1,267 per theater with 3,078 theaters total showing it.

Just Mercy earned $3.65 million domestic through Friday. The Destin Daniel Cretton-directed feature opened in limited domestic release on December 25 with just 4 theaters showing it but has expanded to 2,375 theaters this weekend. The A+ CinemaScore picture which is based on a true story stars  Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson civil rights defense attorney seeking to free a death row inmate he believes has been wrongly convicted, played by Jamie Foxx.

At number five is Sony Pictures' Jumanji: The Next Level. The Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart-starring romp has held on tight through the wild holiday movie season so, all things considered, sitting at number five right now ain't too shabby. The action adventure flick earned $3.3 million domestic through Friday. This new Friday total represents a 62% dip from last week. Additionally, The Next Level is averaging $845 per theater from 3,904 theaters total.

For more on this weekends newest and hottest releases, check out our review of 1917 and be sure to check out our non-spoilery interview with director Sam Mendes. If you're leaning more towards a good, solid drama, then take a peek as our Just Mercy review and read our touching, in-depth interview with director Destin Daniel Cretton.

Rank

Title

Friday

   Total

1.

1917

$13,970,000

   $16,691,279

2.

Star Wars/Rise of Skywalker

$3,920,000

   $467,030,690

3.

Like a Boss

$3,900,000

   $3,900,000

4.

Just Mercy

$3,650,000

   $4,085,988

5.

Jumanji: The Next Level

$3,300,000

   $246,424,981