‘Jumanji’ tops box office for third straight weekend

Fans wait for a red carpet event promoting ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ in Beijing on Jan. 4. Jason Lee / Reuters file

The war drama “12 Strong,” starring Chris Hemsworth, debuted in second, with $16.5 million in ticket sales. The Warner Bros. release, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, is a fact-based tale, adapted from Doug Stanton’s best-seller “Horse Soldiers,” about a group of Special Forces soldiers sent into northern Afghanistan just weeks after Sept. 11, 2001.

“12 Strong” appealed largely to an older crowd. Seventy-nine percent of its audience was over the age of 25, said Warner Bros.

The heist thriller “Den of Thieves” slotted in at third place, with an opening weekend of $15.3 million. The STXfilms release stars Gerard Butler and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

Although “Paddington 2” disappointed last weekend in its debut, the acclaimed sequel slid by just 25 percent in its second week. “Paddington 2,” which has set a record for the most widely reviewed 100 percent “fresh” movie on Rotten Tomatoes, grossed $8.2 million in its second week of domestic release, thanks in part to good word of mouth. Warner Bros. acquired the film’s North American distribution from The Weinstein Co. in November.

Also showing unexpected legs was “The Greatest Showman,” the Hugh Jackman-led musical about P.T. Barnum. It dipped by just 12 percent in its fifth week of release. With another $11 million, “The Greatest Showman” has now grossed $113.5 million for 20th Century Fox.

Also notable: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” crossed the $600 million mark domestically, with $6.6 million in its sixth week of release. The Disney release stands at $604.3 million domestically — No. 9 all time, not accounting for inflation — and $1.296 billion worldwide.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final four-day domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” $20 million ($32.6 million international).
2. “12 Strong,” $16.5 million ($2.5 million international).
3. “Den of Thieves,” $15.3 million ($1.3 million international).
4. “The Post,” $12.2 million ($6.6 million international).
5. “The Greatest Showman,” $11 million ($11 million international).
6. “Paddington 2,” $8.2 million ($2.4 million international).
7. “The Commuter,” $6.7 million ($10.2 million international).
8. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” $6.6 million ($9.9 million international).
9. “Insidious: The Last Key,” $5.9 million ($18.4 million international).
10. “Forever My Girl,” $4.7 million.