LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Fox's "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" is set to knock "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" out of its first place slot at the box office, with $22 million from 3,787 North American locations.
The last installment in the "Maze Runner" series, "The Death Cure" stars Dylan O'Brien as a young man fighting for survival in a dystopian world. The film's opening was delayed for a year after O'Brien sustained injuries on the set two years ago. Kaya Scodelario and Thomas Brodie-Sangster also star. Wes Ball has directed all three films.
Sony's "Jumanji," starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson, had maintained the top spot at the box office for the past three weekends after opening in second place behind "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" in December. The sixth weekend of "Jumanji" will likely finish at around $15 million at 3,553 sites, giving it $337 million domestically after 40 days -- topping Sony's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" for 49th place on the all-time list.
Christian Bale Civil War era saga "Hostiles" is battling it out for third place with the sixth frame of "The Greatest Showman" -- both are set to reel in around $9.5 million from 2,815 and 2,663 locations, respectively. The number represents only a 15% decline for "The Greatest Showman," which has proven a solid draw for Fox and should finish the weekend with roughly $126 million. The weekend marks an expansion for "Hostiles," which opened Dec. 20 at three theaters to $22,849.
In fifth is Steven Spielberg's "The Post," which stars Meryl Streep as Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham alongside Tom Hanks as the editor of the same paper. The film chronicles the exposure of the Pentagon Papers and the outlet's fight to publish them.
The Maze Runner franchise has been a reliable performer for Fox since 2014, when it opened the original "Maze Runner" with $32.5 million; the film ended up grossing $102 million in U.S. revenue. The 2015 follow-up, "The Scorch Trials," opened with $30 million and totaled $82 million at the domestic box office.
Heist thriller "Den of Thieves," starring Gerard Butler, and Afghan war drama "12 Strong," featuring Chris Hemsworth, are both set to take in around $8 million in their second weekends, representing a roughly 45% decline for each.
Fox Searchlight's "The Shape of Water," which led the Oscar nominations with 13, is adding nearly 1,000 sites this weekend and will play at 1,840. The fantasy drama has grossed $31.5 million in two months.
Universal's "Get Out" and Warner Bros.' "Dunkirk" are returning to theaters this weekend after receiving best picture noms. "Get Out" grossed $175 million domestically before leaving multiplexes in July and "Dunkirk" took in $188 million between July and November.