The sequel to ‘A Quiet Place’ has the best pandemic on the opening weekend

Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe star in “A Quiet Place Part II”.

Paramount

The box office was anything but quiet at the weekend.

John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place Part II”, the sequel to his directorial debut from 2018, grossed $ 48.4 million so far over the weekend, the highest of any film released during the pandemic. The transportation was just under the $ 50 million “A Quiet Place” made in 2018.

The Paramount film is currently on track to raise around $ 58 million for the four-day Memorial Day weekend.

“This is the beginning of act two in the recovery of the film and the kind of performance that seemed unimaginable just a few months ago,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Boxoffice.com. “The opening of ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ at near levels of its pre-pandemic predecessor, despite ongoing capacity constraints and other regional restrictions, speaks not only to the interest in the sequel itself, but also to the power of going to the cinema.”

“Audiences are increasingly eager to reintegrate this shared theater experience into their daily lives,” he said.

The sequel received many critical acclaim and was considered a must-have for movies, especially in theaters. In reviews, critics touted that seeing the film in a theater enhanced the experience because noise – whether on the screen or in the seats nearby – made the thriller more exciting.

On the way to the holiday weekend, more than 70% of the theaters were open. As vaccination rates continue to rise and the number of coronavirus cases declines, consumer confidence in returning to theaters has increased. Not to mention the studios are finally releasing new content.

Analysts are optimistic that this could be the first weekend the domestic box office could top $ 100 million since the pandemic began. The last time the box office hit that number over a weekend was March 6, 2020.

“The momentous success of ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ knocked out those who believed the pandemic would accelerate the often-predicted downward spiral and ultimate demise of cinema,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

The strong performance of “A Quiet Place Part II” could be supported by Disney’s “Cruella”, which was also released this weekend. Current estimates suggest the film could raise nearly $ 30 million. The studio is expected to release its box office data later on Sunday.

The film, however, could do a lot less. After all, it went on sale in theaters that same day and via Disney + for $ 30. Some consumers may have ventured to the movies to see the movie, others may stay on the couch and stream. Plus, the film gets mixed reviews.