Sony Pictures is looking at box office glory all weekend long with the release of Jumanji: The Next Level. The sequel to 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has pocketed $19.4 million with the $4.7 million earned during Thursday previews included in the Friday total. It's an auspicious start for the new Jumanji pic, which sees Dwayne JohnsonKevin Hart, Karen GillanJack Black, and Nick Jonas returning for another go-round while AwkwafinaDanny Glover, and Danny DeVito joining the fun.

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Image via Sony Pictures

The Next Level came out of the Friday box office race with some impressive numbers. Not only did it rake in $19.4 million domestically, but the movie averaged $4,590 per theater across 4,277 locations. If The Next Level keeps up this pace throughout the weekend, it could hit current projections of a $45-50 million domestic weekend. If this ends up happening, The Next Level will become one of the rare sequels which performs better than the first installment. Considering the Johnson/Hart onscreen combo has frequently been a draw for audiences and the fact this is a fun-as-hell sequel to a surprisingly popular reboot means The Next Level has the goods to land inside the projection range.

Speaking of sequels which are doing better than their predecessors, Frozen II is at number two in the box office race for the first time since its premiere last month. The film dipped 44% since last week, bringing in $4.41 million domestically and bringing its domestic total up to $351.8 million. The Walt Disney Studios animated featured averaged $1,082 dollars per theater from 4,078 locations total. We'll have the official numbers on Sunday but it looks like Frozen II is going to break the $1 billion mark in its global total with international sales doing the heavy lifting as it dominates in markets on nearly every continent.

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Image via Claire Folger/Warner Bros.

The final three films in the top five slots from Friday's box office include Rian Johnson's popular, star-studded whodunit Knives Out as well as newcomers Black Christmas and Richard JewellKnives Out brought in $2.65 million domestically as it enters it moves into its third weekend in theaters. The $2.65 million marks a 36% dip since last week with a per-theater average of $776 from 3,413 locations total. As for Black Christmas and Richard Jewell, it's not so much the fact these two have come in fourth and fifth, respectively, in their first Fridays which should cause concern but rather, the numbers. Black Christmas, a fresh remake of the 1974 slasher pic of the same name starring Imogen Poots, brought in $1.8 million for Universal. This comes out to a per-theater average of $690 with 2,625 locations accounted for. It's unclear if the mixed reviews are the cause of the unsteady start or if folks are not in the mood for a holiday-themed slasher mixing up their festive moods. The controversy-laden Richard Jewell, directed by Clint Eastwood and focusing on the 1996 Olympics bombing where security guard Richard Jewell went from hero to villain through an incorrect narrative of his involvement in the incident, reeled in $1.5 million domestically.

For more on Jumanji: The Next Level, be sure to check out our review of the pic as well as our fun interview with director Jake Kasdan. Curious to know more about Black Christmas? Well, we've gotten an enlightening interview with director Sophia Takal to keep you entertained. And if you're wondering what the deal is with Richard Jewell, make sure you read our review here.

Rank

Title

Friday

   Total

1.

Jumanji: The Next Level

$19,400,000

   $19,400,000

2.

Frozen II

$4,411,000

   $351,771,072

3.

Knives Out

$2,650,000

   $72,327,248

4.

Black Christmas

$1,810,000

   $1,810,000

5.

Richard Jewell

$1,550,000

   $1,550,000