'Jumanji' tops box office for third straight weekend

NEW YORK -- "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" outdid another weekend's worth of newcomers to top the North American box office for the third straight weekend, making the surprise hit the fifth-highest grossing film of all time for Sony Pictures.

"Jumanji," starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, sold $20 million in tickets, according to studio estimates Sunday, bringing its five-week domestic total to $317 million. That makes Sony's reboot the studio's best non-Spider-Man movie domestically, not adjusting for inflation.

The film's unexpectedly strong staying power has lent a boost to the January box office but kept new releases from reaching the top of the box-office chart. "Jumanji" also has reigned overseas, where it has grossed $450.8 million and topped all films internationally for three straight weeks.

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.

"12 Strong" appealed largely to an older crowd. Seventy-nine percent of its audience was older than 25, Warner Bros. said.

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.

Though "Paddington 2" disappointed last weekend in its debut, the acclaimed sequel slid just 25 percent in its second week. "Paddington 2," which has set a new 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 just 12 percent in its fifth week of release. With another $11 million, "The Greatest Showman" now has grossed $113.5 million for 20th Century Fox.

Paul Thomas Anderson's "Phantom Thread" expanded nationwide, taking in $3.4 million from 896 theaters. The Focus Features release, starring Daniel Day-Lewis in what the actor has said will be his final performance, has grossed $6.2 million.

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 -- or 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 today.

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.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:

1. "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," $32.6 million.

2. "Secret Superstar," $25.9 million.

3. "Forever Young," $22.5 million.

4. "Insidious: The Last Key," $18.4 million.

5. "Coco," $18.3 million.

6. "Ferdinand," $17.5 million.

7. "Maze Runner: The Death Cure," $15.2 million.

8. "Wonder," $12.6 million.

9. "Darkest Hour," $12.1 million.

10. "The Greatest Showman," $11 million.

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP