Kaa, the massive snake in Disney’s The Jungle Book, is not a character that many would want to emulate. But the movie itself has taken on some rather, um, constricting characteristics.
The Jungle Book squeezed an estimated $42.4 million from audiences this weekend and pert near swallowed its competition whole for its third straight box office win. At this rate, it’s anybody’s guess when this monster of a movie finally slithers away to digest its earnings, but so far, it’s been a mighty big meal indeed.
Disney’s found success in turning its classic cartoons into live-action blockbusters (though, given the amount of CGI in them, perhaps calling them “live action” is a bit generous). But even so, The Jungle Book has been particularly adept at busting blocks. In just three weekends, it’s sprinted past the total domestic box office grosses of last year’s Cinderella ($201.2 million) and 2014’s Maleficent ($241.4 million). Only Alice in Wonderland, which banked $334.2 million in 2010, has done better, and let’s face it: There’s still plenty of roar left in this Jungle.
In contrast, Keanu mainly just mewed. The R-rated comedy starring comedians Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele and the titular kitten earned an estimated $9.5 million during its opening frame—about a fourth of what Kaa and Co. managed to muster. Early estimates have it finishing in second place, though—just ahead of The Huntsman: Winter’s War, which earned $9.4 million for third.
Moviegoers seemed like they’ve forgotten all about Mother’s Day, spending just $8.3 million on it—the equivalent of a leftover off-holiday card (“Happy Groundhog Day Mother’s Day, Jennifer Aniston!”) and barely enough to take the movie’s cast and crew to a decent brunch.
Still, it did better than the surprisingly sweet, sadly unpopular Ratchet & Clank. The animated flick, based on a series of video games, collected just $4.8 million and finished all the way down in seventh place for its debut—behind fifth-place Barbershop: The Next Cut ($6.1 million) and the ever-durable Zootopia ($5 million).
Will Mowgli and his motley band of jungle friends manage to make it a four-peat—a feat last achieved by Deadpool back in February? Perhaps it’d be best not to count on that. After all, Captain America: Civil War has already earned more than $200 million overseas. Methinks that America itself may have a soft spot for good ol’ Cap, too.
Final figures update: 1. The Jungle Book, $43.7 million; 2. The Huntsman: Winter’s War, $9.6 million; 3. Keanu, $9.5 million; 4. Mother’s Day, $8.4 million; 5. Barbershop: The Next Cut, $6.1 million; 6. Zootopia, $5.3 million; 7. Ratchet & Clank, $4.9 million.
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