Walt Disney Pictures’ live-action remake of The Jungle Book is turning out to be a surprise hit, and the studio’s decision to release it this month despite the potential threat posed by Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice is a big reason why it’s on track to have such a good run.
Related: Pre-Order The Jungle Book DVD on Amazon Video
In its second weekend in theaters, The Jungle Book added another $60.8 million and saw ticket sales drop by only 41 percent from week to week — a very good sign for the film and the likelihood of it having a productive run. The film finished well ahead of new arrival The Huntsman: Winter’s War, which managed to earn an underwhelming $20.1 million despite the presence of high-profile cast members Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Jessica Chastain, and Emily Blunt.
At one point, Disney’s decision to release The Jungle Book just a few weeks after Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice was considered a risky bit of scheduling, as many expected the superhero brawl-fest to dominate the box office for quite a while. Instead of that, though, The Jungle Book is benefiting from the well-documented troubles that have been encountered Batman V. Superman (which could be nudged out of the weekend’s top-ten rankings very soon) and is enjoying a month in which it faces little competition from any other major releases.
| # | Title | Weekend | U.S. Total | Worldwide Total |
| 1. | The Jungle Book | $60.8M | $191.5M | $528.5M |
| 2. | The Huntsman: Winter’s War | $20.1M | $20.1M | $100.3M |
| 3. | Barbershop: The Next Cut | $10.8M | $36M | $36M |
| 4. | Zootopia | $6.6M | $316.4M | $907.1M |
| 5. | The Boss | $6.1M | $49.5M | $57.7M |
| 6. | Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice | $5.5M | $319.5M | $851.6M |
| 7. | Criminal | $3.1M | $10.8M | $10.8M |
| 8. | My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 | $2.1M | $55.4M | $82M |
| 9. | Compadres | $1.3M | $1.3M | $1.3M |
| 10. | Eye in the Sky | $1.2M | $14.9M | $14.9M |
Speaking of Batman V. Superman, it’s looking like Disney’s Zootopia might also earn more in the long run than the superhero mash-up movie, as the animated feature had another good weekend in theaters with $6.6 million added to its already impressive domestic and worldwide gross. The film has maintained fantastic week-to-week ticket sales, and despite being in its eighth weekend in theaters, only dropped 19 percent from last week.
The only other new release to make it into the weekend’s top ten movies was Compadres, a Spanish-language action film that earned $1.3 million from the 368 theaters where it was screened. Its average of $3,668 per theater isn’t too shabby, and it will be interesting to see how it performs when/if it expands outside the U.S.
Next weekend is likely to be another big win for The Jungle Book, but the comedy Keanu — featuring the creators and stars of the critically acclaimed Key & Peele series — could also benefit from the lack of competition from other films. There’s also the feel-good drama Mother’s Day, which is vying for the holiday audience with a mom-friendly cast that includes Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, and Jason Sudeikis.
