'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' Headed for Solid First Weekend at the Box Office

After months of anticipation, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle arrived in theaters this weekend, and the spinoff film is on its way to a solid opening at the box office.

Deadline reports that the movie has a firm grasp on the No. 2 spot, trailing Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which opened on Dec. 15. Jumanji is eyeing a $60M-plus haul by Christmas and on Friday was +66 percent over Thursday. With an estimated budget of around $90 million, according to Sony, the event film is well on its way to a solid return.

The movie shows an 84 percent overall positive on ComScore/Screen Engine's PostTrak audience polls, and it's currently sitting at 77 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan, the second Jumanji movie took 22 years to get to the big screen. An alternative for many who have already seen Star Wars, Jumanji offers modern fun with big names like Johnson and a nostalgic bent for those who loved the original Jumanji.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi continues to dominate the box office, with a $399.1 million running total by Monday. That places it behind 2015's The Force Awakens but ahead of last year's Rogue One. Pitch Perfect 3 and The Greatest Showman round out this week's openings, with the former earning a $35.6 million 4-day cume and the latter with an estimated 6-day cume of $16.7 million.

Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures