SA’s box office: it’s still a jungle out there

It’s the third week of 2018, and South Africa is still enamoured by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan’s stint as modern teenagers trapped inside a video game. And why not? Critics have said Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is charming, nostalgic, and — according to Vulture — “you could do far worse“.

If the audience could do worse, Jumanji would struggle to do better. With just four weeks on the chart, the film has pulled in R48.6-million. That’s more than Despicable Me 3 made in its entire run — and it was the second highest-grossing film in Southern Africa last year.

But are the weak newcomers to thank for Jumanji‘s fourth weekend at the top? (19 – 21 January)

Jumanji reigns supreme this week, thanks in large part to a lack of new competition

They very well could be. Of the four opening films this weekend, only two made the chart. Insidious: The Last Key opened in a standard sixth place for a horror, and Breathe, a drama about a man who was paralysed by polio at age 28, inched into ninth.

Oscar buzzy The Shape of Water — which only opened in nine Ster-Kinekor and Nu Metro cinemas nationwide — stayed clear of the charts. So, too, did Megan Leavey, which followed a US Marine’s journey with her military combat dog.

And so, without any blockbuster newcomers to shake up the charts, the top 10 films remain relatively unscathed. In second is Liam Neeson’s The Commuter, and in third is still Pitch Perfect 3 (review).

The Greatest Showman pulled the rabbit out the bag and rose two spots to fourth

In the only surprising turn of events, The Greatest Showman rose two spots to fourth, pushing animated Ferdinand down to fifth. The Hugh Jackman-led musical has come alive, achieving its million dreams to prove to South Africa that it really is the greatest show.

Finally, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (review) is on its last legs after falling the furthest again this week, down three from seventh. Hard as it is to admit, it seems South African audiences are the Luke Skywalkers to The Last Jedi’s young Ben Solo. We failed it.

Here are ten most-watched movies in SA this past weekend:

1. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Incl. 3D, IMAX, 4DX & D.BOX)** (±0)
2. The Commuter (Incl. IMAX & D.BOX) (±0)
3. Pitch Perfect 3 (±0)
4. The Greatest Showman (+2)
5. Ferdinand (Incl. 3D) (-1)
6. Insidious: The Last Key (NEW)
7. The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (Incl. 3D) (-2)
8. Molly’s Game (±0)
9. Breathe (NEW)
10. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Incl. 3D, IMAX, 4DX & D.BOX) (-3)

**Highest life-to-date grosser with R43 303 612.

The above list was provided by Ster-Kinekor Entertainment.