With Sydney's cinemas still shuttered, a snap lockdown in effect in South East Queensland, Victorian and South Australian theatres just reopening, and the Olympics competing for eyeballs, it wasn't going to be smooth sailing for Disney's 'Jungle Cruise'.
"It's been a while since we had a line out the door – thanks to 'Shang-Chi' for providing."
Warner Bros' 'Tenet' reigned in its second weekend while Disney's 'The New Mutants' opened meekly as the long, slow road to recovery for Australian cinemas continues.
With audiences emerging from lockdown in South East Queensland, Cairns and regional Victoria, DC/Warner Bros.' 'The Suicide Squad' held no. 1 at the box office, narrowly defeating Disney's new sci-fi, 'Free Guy'.
Tom Cruise proved himself as big a box office draw as any comic book creation on the weekend, with 'Top Gun: Maverick' starting its engine at $13.8 million.
'Top Gun: Maverick' held on to that loving feeling at the box office for a second weekend, taking in another $13 million.
There was more dominance from 'Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness' at the box office on the weekend, as British dramas 'Downton Abbey: A New Era' and 'Operation Mincemeat' rounded out the top three.
Australian cinema made a welcome return to box office top three on the weekend as Madman's Fremantle-shot 'How To Please a Woman' came in behind Marvel juggernaut 'Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness' and 'Downton Abbey: A New Era'.