The first weekend at the box office is just kicking off and already there are some interesting updates we need to unpack. Having made it through a successful and bountiful holiday moviegoing season, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is entering its third weekend in theaters as the reigning box office champ. Meanwhile, Screen Gems/Sony Pictures release The Grudge, a reboot of the early ’00s horror flick The Grudge (which is a remake of Japanese frightfest Ju-on: The Grudge), arrived in theaters on Friday as the first new release of 2020.
The Rise of Skywalker added $11 million in domestic sales on Friday, marking a 58% dip for the Star Wars Skywalker saga finale. To date, the Disney/Lucasfilm release now has a domestic total of $428 million. It’s only when you look at the per theater average for Rise of Skywalker that things appear to be slowing down. Per Friday’s latest updates, Rise of Skywalker averaged $2,497 per theater with 4,406 domestic theaters accounted for. Abroad, Rise of Skywalker‘s international total to date is $423 million, which makes its global total $851 million as it enters its third weekend in theaters.
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
As for newcomer The Grudge, there are a few obstacles the Screen Gems/Sony pic must overcome. Directed by Nicolas Pesce (The Eyes of My Mother) and starring Andrea Riseborough, John Cho, Démian Bichir, Betty Gilpin, and Lin Shaye, the low-to-mid-budget horror release tells the story of a house infested with a vengeful curse which proceeds to wreak havoc on any person who enters. The reboot of a remake earned itself an abysmal F CinemaScore and has been met with overall negative critical reviews, marking an uphill battle for the movie as it tries to reel in audiences. After earning $1.8 million in previews on Thursday, The Grudge added nearly $4 million and ended its Friday opening day with $5.4 million domestic. Pesce’s update averaged $2,025 per theater as it opened in 2,642 theaters nationwide.
Image via Sony Pictures
Friday additional top five films include Jumanji: The Next Level, which is holding steady at number two, as Greta Gerwig‘s latest feature Little Women rises to number four and Disney animated sequel Frozen II chills out in fifth place. The Next Level brought in $8.6 million in new domestic sales, bringing the overall domestic total of the Sony Pictures release up to $218.3 million. The good times for Sony continue with Little Women, which opened wide over the Christmas holidays and added $4.4 million domestic. Overall, the update starring Saoirse Ronan, Laura Dern, and Timothée Chalamet now has a domestic total of $51 million. As for Frozen II, the animated family-friendly release is still in the race with $4 million earned on Friday.
Still curious about The Grudge? Check out the gritty red-band trailer if you’re keen to know what the vibe of the reboot is all about. And, if you still have big thoughts and feelings about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, you’ll probably get a kick out of Collider’s own Vinnie Mancuso singing the praises of breakout favorite character, Babu Frik.
| Rank | Title | Friday | Total |
| 1. | Star Wars/Rise of Skywalker | $11,001,000 | $428,058,441 |
| 2. | Jumanji: The Next Level | $8,625,000 | $218,331,405 |
| 3. | The Grudge (2020) | $5,350,000 | $5,350,000 |
| 4. | Little Women | $4,415,000 | $50,863,332 |
| 5. | Frozen II | $3,927,000 | $442,512,364 |
