Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, starring international action superstar Dwayne Johnson, is expected to lead new Christmas week releases at the box office according to the latest tracking data. Early reactions to the film have been largely positive, boosting hopes that the reboot will soar at the box office despite heavy competition from a bevy of big Christmas releases, and one very large holdover film that's expected to still be raking in the dough when the holiday hits.

Released in 1995, the original Jumanji was an early CGI-heavy action movie about a pair of kids playing a magical board game that unleashed jungle creatures and Robin Williams into the real world. The new Jumanji puts several twists on the original movie's premise: instead of a board game, the kids play a magical video game; and this time instead of the jungle being released into their world, they are transported into the game's jungle environment (and also grow into adults).

The latest tracking data on the action-adventure reboot starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan has the movie raking in $60 million over the six-day Christmas window, positioning it to be the highest-grossing new release of the Christmas weekend (via THR). However, Jumanji is still expected to be denied the #1 box office spot over that period, with Star Wars: The Last Jedi still reigning supreme in theaters (The Last Jedi is tracking to gross $200 million when it opens a week before the holiday period proper). Sony's own tracking is keeping things slightly less optimistic, suggesting Jumanji is in line for a $45 million open.

Among other films set to release over the Christmas holiday, Universal's Pitch Perfect 3 is also looking very strong, with the tracking data suggesting a $30 million opening over four days for the Anna Kendrick-led musical-comedy. Fox may also have a musical holiday winner, as Hugh Jackman's The Greatest Showman is tracking for $21 million.

Things are not looking quite Christmas-y for Sony's All the Money in the World, which is projected to make only $6 million over four days. Ridley Scott's historical drama about the real-life kidnapping of oil heir John Paul Getty III found itself at the center of a firestorm after Kevin Spacey, who plays oil billionaire J. Paul Getty in the film, was hit with numerous sexual misconduct allegations. In a daring move, Scott decided to remove Spacey from the movie and re-do all his scenes with veteran actor Christopher Plummer, despite the film and all its marketing already being finished and the film's release date set (the first new trailer featuring Plummer in place of Spacey has been released).

Unless the novelty value of seeing what Plummer does with Spacey's role after scrambling to fill the disgraced actor's boots draws more people than expected to the theater, All the Money in the World is set to get run over by the thunderous, Dwayne Johnson-fueled escapist fantasy of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

MORE: Jumanji Screening Early For Amazon Prime Members

Source: THR

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