Weekend Box Office Report: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker still on top!

Skywalker's rise is holding at #1!

The heroes and villains of the epic tale in a galaxy far, far away remained in first place at the box office this weekend as STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER made an estimated $72 million!

Director J.J. Abrams' second time playing with George Lucas' action figures got blasted by 59% from last weekend's opening for a ten-day domestic total of $361.7 million — now more than halfway to THE LAST JEDI's $620 million domestic finish and over one-third of the way to the record-holding $936 million domestic total for THE FORCE AWAKENS.

The PG-13 conclusion of the third trilogy in the monumental space opera is currently the seventh highest-grossing domestic release of 2019, floating between SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME ($390 million) and the live-action ALADDIN ($355 million).

The purported finale to the nine-movie Skywalker saga (also the most expensive chapter in the franchise at an estimated cost of $275 million) has a worldwide total of $724.7 million.

On its third weekend in theaters, the adventure sequel JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL stayed in second place with $35.3 million — a jump of 33% over last weekend's business.

Director Jake Kasdan's PG-13 action-comedy with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black has a domestic total of $175.4 million and a worldwide total of $471.4 million, on a reported cost of $125 million.

In third place was the new PG-rated period drama LITTLE WOMEN with $16.5 million for the weekend.

Featuring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Laura Dern, the latest adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel has a domestic total of $29 million since it opened on Christmas Day.

The Sony-released coming-of-age story (which has previously been adapted a dozen times for film and TV) from LADY BIRD director Greta Gerwig cost a reported $40 million.

Critics adored the most recent version of the March sisters and their post-Civil War lives, giving it a 95% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 91 on Metacritic. Court the JoBlo review right HERE.

Disney's animated sequel FROZEN II was in fourth place with $16.5 million on its sixth weekend. The PG-rated fairy tale musical has accumulated a domestic total of $421.7 million to surpass the $400 million of the first FROZEN, while its current $1.21 billion worldwide total is narrowing in on the 2013 original's $1.27 billion finish.

Opening in fifth place was the new animated family feature SPIES IN DISGUISE with $13.2 million for the weekend.

The PG-rated comedy, with Will Smith's skilled secret agent dealing with a sudden transformation into a pigeon, has a domestic total of $22 million since its Christmas Day start.

Also featuring the voices of Tom Holland, Ben Mendelsohn, Rashida Jones and Karen Gillan, Fox's CG 'toon also landed $16 million from international audiences for a $38 million worldwide total.

Critics were mildly amused by the feathered espionage antics, giving the movie a 72% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a 54 score on Metacritic. Flap on over to the JoBlo review HERE.

Writer-director Rian Johnson's A-list murder mystery KNIVES OUT was in sixth place with $9.7 million, taking the $40 million crime-comedy to a domestic total of $110.2 million and $205.8 million worldwide after five weekends.

Stepping onto the list in seventh place was the R-rated New York thriller UNCUT GEMS with $9.5 million as it expanded from limited release to more than 2300 locations on Christmas Day.

The critically acclaimed Adam Sandler crime-drama from brothers Josh and Benny Safdie (GOOD TIME) has a domestic total of $21 million after two impressive weekends in limited release.

In eighth place was director Tom Hooper's PG-rated musical CATS with $4.8 million, shedding 27% of business from its debut last weekend. Universal's $95 million adaptation of the feline Broadway show has a ten-day domestic total of $17.8 million and $38.4 million worldwide.

The R-rated Fox News drama BOMBSHELL was in ninth place with $4.7 million, dipping by 8% from its wide expansion last weekend. The fact-based story with Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie has a domestic total of $15.6 million on a reported cost of $32 million.

Closing out the list was director Clint Eastwood's R-rated drama RICHARD JEWELL with $3 million over its third weekend, giving the fact-based Warner Bros. release a domestic total of $16 million on a reported $45 million cost.

Outside the chart, the R-rated drama QUEEN & SLIM drove away along with the racing story FORD V FERRARI and the holiday horror movie BLACK CHRISTMAS.

In limited release, director Sam Mendes' WWI drama 1917 started with a strong per-screen average of $51k and a weekend total of $1 million on 11 screens before it expands wide on January 10th.

Presented as if filmed in a single take, the R-rated war story following a pair of young British soldiers cost a reported $90 million. Criitics applauded the immersive technical achievement, giving the movie a 90% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 80 (the JoBlo review is HERE).

Also starting in limited release was the fact-based PG-13 Jamie Foxx/Michael B. Jordan legal drama JUST MERCY with a decent per-screen average of $27k before its January 10th wide release.

Next weekend allows the existing lineup to continue their battle, with the horror reboot THE GRUDGE as the only new contender.

Which January release are you most interested in seeing? VOTE HERE!