Jungle Book Opens at $103M; What Does it Mean (if anything) for Legend of Tarzan?

Disney’s Jungle Book opened $20M north of most projections, bringing in $103M and in the process achiving the second highest April opening ever, after last year’s Furious 7.  This opening projects out to $300M domestically and $800m to $1B globally, depending on how the foreign release goes.  Foreign to date is $136M with China leading the way at $50m — and a number of major territories including Korea and Japan not yet opening.

Does any of this have anything to do with Legend of Tarzan?

Not directly.  But both, obviously, are turn-of-the-last century classic jungle tales with a feral child at the center and lots of CGI animals and special effects.

I guess the question is — does it help or hinder Legend of Tarzan for Jungle Book to be so fresh in the minds of the potential audience as they contemplate Tarzan?  Does is crate greater demand, on the theory the appetite has been whetted for a jungle adventure?  Or does it hinder, by sating that appetite?

And is it even the same audience?

My sense of it is that it’s either neutral, or perhaps hurts a little by taking just a little bit of the sheen off.

On the other hand, consider the alternative.

What if Jungle Book had tanked?

Then, Legend of Tarzan would be hearing it’s name called out in tandem with Jungle Book at every step of the way, followed by dire warning of imminent flop.

So when you think of it that way — maybe JB does help LOT.  It certainly shows a path to success for a jungle adventure in 2016. LOT is more “adult” for sure, but it’s hard to look at this huge success of Jungle Book and then make the argument that LOT couldn’t possible attract interest and succeed.

On balance, I guess it is a little bit of a positive, purely by killing some of the negativity that might otherwise spring up. . . .

Methinks.