Weekend Box Office Leaves 1917 on Top, While Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Nears $1 Billion

We’re only a matter of days into 2020, but the new year (and decade) is already bringing some surprises at the box office. 1917, the epic war movie directed by Sam Mendes, debuted in wide release this weekend, and ended up dominating the box office in the process. The film, which presents its epic World War I story in one single shot, opened to a $36 million domestic gross, with an extra $19.92 million from international markets. The film recently performed well at the Golden Globes, where it took home the Best Director and Best Picture (Drama) trophies, and Oscar buzz is continuing to swirl.

Coming in at second place was Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which picked up another $15 million domestically across the weekend. At the time of this writing, the film’s worldwide gross sits at $989.6 million, with speculation that it will cross $1 billion within the next few days.

Keep reading to see this weekend’s box office top 10.

1. 1917

Week Three
Friday: $14 million
Weekend: $36 million
Total: $39 million

Two young British soldiers during the First World War are given an impossible mission: deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will stop 1,600 men, and one of the soldiers’ brothers, from walking straight into a deadly trap.

1917 is directed by Sam Mendes, with a cast that includes George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Week Four
Friday: $3.9 million
Weekend: $15 million
Total: $478 million

The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron’s journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is directed by J. J. Abrams. The film is the final installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the last chapter in the “Skywalker saga.” The film stars Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, Ian McDiarmid, and Billy Dee Williams.

3. Jumanji: The Next Level

Week Five
Friday: $3.3 million
Weekend: $14 million
Total: $257 million

When Spencer goes back into the fantastical world of Jumanji, pals Martha, Fridge and Bethany re-enter the game to bring him home. But the game is now broken — and fighting back. Everything the friends know about Jumanji is about to change, as they soon discover there’s more obstacles and more danger to overcome.
 
Jumanji: The Next Level is directed by Jake Kasdan from a screenplay written by Kasdan, Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. The sequel stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito.

4. Like a Boss

Week One
Friday: $3.9 million
Weekend: $10 million
Total: $10 million

Two friends with very different ideals start a beauty company together. One is more practical while the other wants to earn her fortune and live a lavish lifestyle.

Like a Boss is directed by Miguel Arteta, with a cast that includes Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Coolidge, Natasha Rothwell, Billy Porter, and Salma Hayek.

5. Just Mercy

Week Three
Friday: $3.7 million
Weekend: $10 million
Total: $10.4 million

Attorney Bryan Stevenson takes the case of Walter McMillian, an African-American man wrongfully imprisoned for the 1986 murder of a white woman in Alabama and sentenced to death.

Just Mercy is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, and is based on Stevenson’s memoir Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. The film stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, and Brie Larson.

6. Little Women

Week Three
Friday: $2.2 million
Weekend: $7.6 million
Total: $74 million

Following the lives of four sisters, Amy, Jo, Beth and Meg, as they come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War. Though all very different from each other, the March sisters stand by each other through difficult and changing times.

Little Women is directed by Greta Gerwig, based on Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel of the same name. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper, and Meryl Streep.

7. Underwater

Week One
Friday: $2.5 million
Weekend: $7 million
Total: $7 million

A crew of aquatic researchers work to get to safety after an earthquake devastates their subterranean laboratory. But the crew has more than the ocean seabed to fear.

Underwater is directed by William Eubank, and stars Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick, John Gallagher Jr., Mamoudou Athie, and T.J. Miller.

8. Frozen II

Week Seven
Friday: $1.2 million
Weekend: $5.8 million
Total: $459.4 million

Elsa the Snow Queen and her sister Anna embark on an adventure far away from the kingdom of Arendelle. They are joined by friends, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.
 
Frozen 2 is directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. The film features the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Ciarán Hinds, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Alfred Molina, Martha Plimpton, Jason Ritter, Rachel Matthews, and Jeremy Sisto.

9. Knives Out

Week Seven
Friday: $1.6 million
Weekend: $5.7 million
Total: $139.6 million

A detective and a trooper travel to a lush estate to interview the quirky relatives of a patriarch who died during his 85th birthday celebration.

Knives Out is written, produced, and directed by Rian Johnson. The film stars Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, and Christopher Plummer.

10. Spies in Disguise

Week Three
Friday: $1 million
Weekend: $5.1 million
Total: $54.6 million

Super spy Lance Sterling and scientist Walter Beckett are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is not. But what Walter lacks in social skills he makes up for in smarts and invention, creating the awesome gadgets Lance uses on his epic missions. But when events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely on each other in a whole new way. And if this odd couple can’t learn to work as a team, the whole world is in peril.
 
Spies in Disguise is inspired by Lucas Martell’s 2009 animated short Pigeon: Impossible, The film is directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane. The voice cast includes Will Smith, Tom Holland, Rashida Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Reba McEntire, Rachel Brosnahan, Karen Gillan, DJ Khaled, and Masi Oka.