Warner Bros. Gets Pleasant Box Office Surprise With 'Central Intelligence'

Warner Bros. (NYSE: TWX) isn't a studio that in the past few years has seen a lot of summer success, but "Central Intelligence" always looked like a strong contender for 2016.

The pairing of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart seemed like a great draw for audiences and as it turns out, proved to be something special. The duo's movie opened with a strong second place finish earning $34 million this weekend against a dominant "Finding Dory."

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While Disney/Pixar's fish tale was targeting a different demo, wrestling parents to the cineplexes hasn't been the easiest task for studios as of late. Yet the $50 million production is already off to a good start and given the fears surrounding Warner's next entry "The Legend of Tarzan," this, along with the success of "The Conjuring 2" is news investors should relish.

However, the news is also good for investors in Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) as Johnson and Hart are set to re-team on projects under their umbrellas in 2017 and beyond, including the re-boot of "Jumanji" and reportedly the adaptation of Disney's iconic ride "The Jungle Cruise."