Jumanji: The Next Level is one of the holiday season’s most anticipated tentpoles, but how much did it cost to make? Back in 2017, the franchise made its return with one of the more unexpected box office hits in recent memory. Fueled by a star-studded cast including Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle more than held its own against Star Wars: The Last Jedi that December, eventually becoming Sony’s highest-grossing title to date. That kind of success was certainly a pleasant surprise for the studio, which was in desperate need for a blockbuster at the time.
It came as little shock when Sony forged ahead with a sequel, this week’s The Next Level, which is also going head-to-head with a Star Wars installment. This time, Jumanji is arriving in theaters first and will most assuredly win the box office in its opening weekend. Obviously, Sony is hoping it makes as much money in its debut as possible, so they can turn a profit on their latest sizable investment quickly.
Currently, there is no reported production budget figure for The Next Level. However, its predecessor cost $90 million to make, so it’d be reasonable to assume the sequel is in the same ballpark. There’s a chance The Next Level had a little more money behind it, because this time Sony knows the property is a big draw.
UPDATE: Jumanji: The Next Level’s production budget is $125 million.
If $90+ million is indeed the budget, Sony is in great shape financially. The Next Level would not need to break the bank in order to recoup its costs. Going by the general rule of thumb, the film would need to earn approximately $180 million worldwide to break even. It’s already well on its way to reaching that mark, since it’s grossed $52.5 million from a handful of international markets ahead of its U.S. debut. Welcome to the Jungle made $962.1 million a couple of years ago, so odds are it will take little time for The Next Level to become profitable after opening in other countries. Even if The Next Level can’t match its predecessor’s global gross, it should still go down as a success since Sony was (probably) effective managing the budget.
Obviously, The Next Level is going to face tough competition during its run (The Rise of Skywalker is projected to make $200+ million in its domestic debut), so it’s smart this film is relatively inexpensive for a studio tentpole. That gives Jumanji a lot of breathing room should it take a hit in its second weekend. Additionally, there isn’t really anything on the horizon other than Star Wars 9 targeting the same demographic, so The Next Level should have a fruitful January considering it’ll be one of the few legitimate blockbusters playing in theaters. All in all, Sony looks to have another winner on their hands.
More: Every Movie Releasing In December 2019
- Jumanji 3 Release Date: 2019-12-13
