'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' wins the box office for a third-straight weekend but is tracking slower than its predecessors

• "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" won the domestic box office for a third-straight weekend.
• The third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy brought in $33.7 million over the weekend, bringing its domestic total to $450.8 million.
• However, it's still behind what "The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi" earned by week three.
• "Skywalker" could be the first movie out of the most recent "Star Wars" trilogy to not earn $600 million domestically by the end of its theatrical run.
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Disney's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is still doing big business at the domestic box office as it stayed in the top spot for a third consecutive weekend after taking in $33.7 million. But compared to its previous chapters in the Skywalker saga, the movie is a little sluggish by "Star Wars" standards.

The movie's domestic total is now at $450.8 million, a fantastic figure for any blockbuster after three weeks, but at this time two years ago "The Last Jedi" had brought in $531.5 million. And 2015's "The Force Awakens" raked in the domestic cume after the third weekend of an incredible $742.2 million.

At the end of the day it's not how fast you get to $1 billion, but if you get there, and "The Rise of Skywalker" will certainly do that, as the movie's worldwide total to date is $918.8 million. But the performance by "Skywalker" in the coming weeks will be interesting to track, as it might finish its theatrical run without getting to $600 million domestically. A figure that both "Force Awakens" ($936.6 million) and "Last Jedi" ($620.1 million) surpassed.

Sony supplied the rest of the box office power this weekend with three very different titles.

"Jumanji: The Next Level" continues to be a strong counterprogrammer to "Rise of Skywalker" as it came in second place with $26.5 million. Its domestic cume is over $236 million, proving the franchise will continue on for years to come.

Then it was a battle for third place between "Little Women" and "The Grudge." Greta Gerwig's adaptation of the classic edged out the horror with a $13.5 million take. But the latest reboot of the "The Grudge" has nothing to be upset about. Despite a 16% Rotten Tomatoes score and an F CinemaScore, the movie overperformed with a $11.3 million opening weekend (it was made for $10 million).

Box-office highlights:

• Lionsgate/MRC's "Knives Out" continued to be one of the top-earning original titles released in 2019 (bringing in $9 million over the weekend, only a 9% drop from last weekend), but its performance in China has shocked everyone. Rian Johnson's whodunit, which he made after doing "The Last Jedi," has brought in over $28 million in the Middle Kingdom, which is more than what "The Rise of Skywalker" has earned there (over $17 million).
• A24's "Uncut Gems" continued to ride its critical acclaim and award season buzz to bring in some impressive box office numbers, as the Safdie brothers movie starring Adam Sandler brought in $7.8 million over the weekend. That marks only an 18% decline from last weekend contributing to a $36 million cume.