Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has finally lost its grip on the box office after almost a month at the number one spot. Sam Mendes World War I drama 1917 took the cake this weekend. According to Variety, the film, which stars Game of Thrones alumni Dean-Charles Chapman and Richard Madden and George MacKay, raked in $36.5 million from 3,434 theaters in its first weekend of wide release. Still, Star Wars is not hurting for cash. The final film in the new trilogy fell to second place, earning $15 million for a domestic haul of $478 million. Globally, Rise of Skywalker has grossed $990 million and is predicted to cross the billion-dollar mark next week. It would give Disney yet another billion-dollar film in the last 3 years.
Just Mercy, starring Jamie Foxx, Michael B Jordan, and Brie Larson, earned $10 million from 2,375 venues. The legal drama tells the true story of Walter McMillian, a man who is wrongfully convicted of murder. Foxx plays McMillian and Jordan plays Bryan Stevenson, the young attorney who helps him appeal his murder conviction. Just Mercy is generating lots of Oscar buzz and is fighting for third place with Like A Boss. Starring Tiffany Hadish and Rose Byrne, Like A Boss also generated $10 million, keeping it neck and neck with Just Mercy.