2nd Update: Sony this morning said that Jumanji: The Next Level will go a week earlier in China on Dec. 6. Pic will also bow with France and Netherlands that weekend before hitting the U.S. on Dec. 13. Industry tracking had the Dwayne Johnson-Kevin Hart-Jack Black-Karen Gillan movie at a $40M with Sony seeing $35M.
1st Update, Nov. 8: Sony’s sequel to its $962.1M global hit Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle will debut in China on Dec. 13 in sync with its domestic opening. Pic will go up against local titles Skyfire and Gone With the Light that weekend.
China is a rich territory for Dwayne Johnson with such pics like Hobbs & Shaw ($201M), Rampage ($156.3M), San Andreas ($103M) and Skyscraper ($98.4M) racking up bucks.
The first Jake Kasdan-directed pic made $78M in the Middle Kingdom, repping 14% of its $557.6M overseas total. Similar to Welcome to the Jungle which was tentpole counterprogramming to Disney’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017, Next Level will play in a holiday marketplace that will be dominated by Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. However in China, that faceoff is different: recent Star Wars holiday Disney releases typically open in the New Year, i.e. Force Awakens (1/9/16), Last Jedi (1/5/18) and Rogue One (1/6/17).
There’s no blackout period in China as the PRC looks to boost their box office at year end. Last year China let in Warner Bros.’ Aquaman and Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.
Sony also has Charlie’s Angels opening in China timed to its stateside release next Friday, Nov. 15.