‘Jungle Cruise' Tops Weekend Box Office With Surprising $34 Million Debut

Disney's 'Jungle Cruise' brought in just over $34 million at the domestic box office, and another $30 on Disney+, surpassing industry expectations.

August 1, 2021

Jungle Cruise opened to $34.2 million in cinema sales and an additional $30 million on Disney+, topping this weekend’s box office, Varietyreports.

The Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt-starring adventure epic pulled in another $27.6 million at the international box office, from 47 overseas markets, for a total of $61.8 million. The well-reviewed tentpole surpassed industry expectations, which were somewhat muted on account of the surging Delta variant and its potential effect on ticket sales.

It was available for a $30 rental fee on Disney+, much in the same way that Cruella and Black Widow debuted on the streamer and in theaters simultaneously. That strategy is what prompted Scarlett Johansson’s bombshell lawsuit against Disney, and with Emma Stone reportedly considering a similar approach, it remains to be seen if either Blunt or Johnson consider taking Disney to court as well.

Either way, it appears that a sequel to the Jaume Collet-Serra-directed film may already be in the works. According to a tweet from Johnson himself, he’s set to meet with Disney executives to discuss the potential sequel some time soon.

A24’s The Green Knight finished in second, while M. Night Shyamalan’s Old finished third. However, the earnings were grim for Shyamalan’s latest thriller, which made just $6.76 million in its second week after topping the box office last week.