For a third straight weekend in a row Sony's Bad Boys for Life topped the weekend box office, and continues to do so with ease, though it isn't as if the competition from a pair of newcomers was stiff. Both UAR's Gretel & Hansel and Paramount's The Rhythm Section fell below expectations, and the latter is even struggling to remain in the weekend top ten and earned a record no film ever wants.

With an estimated $17.7 million this weekend, Sony's Bad Boys for Life finished atop the weekend box office for the third straight week in a row. The film's domestic gross now tops $148 million, making it the highest grossing release in the Bad Boys franchise. Internationally, Bad Boys brought in an estimated $30.8 million, lifting the film's international cume to $142.7 million for a franchise best, $271 million global cume.

Universal's 1917 once again takes the runner-up position as the Best Picture contender delivered an estimated $9.66 million this weekend, pushing the film's domestic cume just shy of $120 million. Internationally, the film brought in an estimated $20.9 million from 61 markets, including openings in Russia, Taiwan, Sweden, and Thailand. The international cume currently stands at $129.8 million.

Universal also took third place with Dolittle bringing in an estimated $7.7 million as the struggling, $175 million production has now managed just over $55 million domestically as it kicks off its third week in release. Internationally the film has now grossed over $71 million after bringing in an estimated $17.7 million this weekend from 63 markets. The film's global cume now stands at $126.6 million with releases in France, the UK, Brazil, Russia and Japan yet to come along with a release date for China not yet set.

United Artists Releasing's Gretel & Hansel debuted in fourth position, opening with an estimated $6 million, coming up shy of expectations. The performance doesn't come as much of a shock given it is the fourth horror/thriller to be released in the first five weeks of the year, not to mention it is the fourth to debut with poor reviews and, once again, audiences tended to agree with critics, giving the film a "C-" CinemaScore and a 20% audience rating at RottenTomatoes. The film played to an opening weekend crowd that was 53% female with 73% of the overall audience coming in aged less than 35 years old.

A pair of films are virtually in a dead heat for fifth place with STXfilms's The Gentlemen edging out Jumanji: The Next Level by just $10,000 based on estimates. The Guy Ritchie-directed action comedy dipped -44% in its second weekend, bringing in an estimated $6 million for a ten-day domestic cume totaling $20.4 million. Internationally, the film added another 12 markets, bringing in an estimated $4 million for an overseas cume totaling $28 million and a global tally that now tops $48 million.

Further down the list, and just making its way into the top ten is Paramount's The Rhythm Section. Signals heading into the weekend weren't positive, but this one fell short of even the most pessimistic of expectations, bringing in just $2.8 million for the weekend from 3,049 locations for a $918 per theater average, the worst opening ever for a film debuting in over 3,000 locations. The film received a "C+" CinemaScore from opening day audiences while the opening weekend crowd was 53% male with 75% of the overall audience coming in aged 25 years or older.

In limited release, Magnolia and ShortsTV debuted the 2020 Oscar-Nominated Short Films with an estimated $1.1 million in 460 locations. In 15 years of releasing the Oscar Shorts this is Magnolia's widest opening ever due to the shortened window between nominations and this year's ceremony.

Additional limited releases include Bleecker's The Assistant brought in an estimated $84,702 from four locations ($21,176 PTA); the independent release of Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words debuted in 23 theaters with an estimated $74,718 ($3,248 PTA); Sony Classics released The Traitor in three theaters with an estimated $25,530 ($8,510 PTA); Greenwich's Incitement opened in two locations with an estimated $21,750; and Outsider debuted José in one theater with an estimated $10,200.

Next weekend sees Margot Robbie back in her role as Harley Quinn in the DC Comics adaptation Birds of Prey, opening in over 4,100 locations.

You can check out all of this weekend's estimated results right here and we'll be updating our charts with weekend actuals on Monday afternoon.

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