Hollywood and movie theaters across the United States received some long-awaited and encouraging news this weekend when John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place Part II reportedly became the first film to surpass $100 million in US ticket sales since the onset of the pandemic.
A Quiet Place Part II is already the top-grossing film of 2021
According to Variety, A Quiet Place Part II surpassed the $100 million milestone in just 15 days since it was released exclusively in movie theaters on Friday, May 28. A third successful weekend at the box office as one of the top new movie releases reportedly brought the horror-thriller sequel from Paramount Pictures to $108 million in earnings at the domestic box office and an additional $80 million from international movie theaters — all in just 17 days.
I saw A Quiet Place Part II, my first movie in a theater since January 2020. I’m not gonna say I cried, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t emotional pic.twitter.com/eOCoAHYHlA
— Marco J. Iannelli (@marcothepianist) June 13, 2021
Those earnings put John Krasinski’s fourth film as a director well ahead of the pack as the top-grossing Hollywood movie of 2021 as we enter the second half of the year. Trailing behind A Quiet Place Part II is Godzilla vs. Kong, which was released in the US simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max on Wednesday, March 31, and has since reportedly earned $99.6 million domestically. Disney’s Cruella, in third place, has earned $55.9 million at the US box office since releasing the same day as A Quiet Place Part II.
Staying power: A Quiet Place Part II outperformed In the Heights in its first weekend
Jon M. Chu’s In the Heights — another new movie release long-delayed by the pandemic — premiered in movie theaters and on HBO Max on Thursday, June 10, and reportedly made $11.4 million in its opening weekend at the US box office, falling just short of A Quiet Place Part II, which made $11.6 million in its third weekend in movie theaters.
While things are still a little touch-and-go as Hollywood fans return to movie theaters across the country, this opening weekend total for the adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway musical proved disappointing. Prior to the film’s release, Variety estimated that In the Heights could expect to make anywhere between $16 and $30 million in its opening weekend.
So, what’s going on here? For one, In the Heights is also available to stream on HBO Max for free with a subscription, making it easier to throw on at home rather than make a trip to the movie theater — something many people may have become accustomed to during the pandemic.
Look I’m but a humble critic and no fancy schmancy box office analyst but it seems to me that a *possible* explanation for IN THE HEIGHTS’ “underperformance” MIGHT be that people just stayed home and watched it on a subscription streaming service, just spitballing here
— Jason Bailey PLUS (@jasondashbailey) June 13, 2021
Even though the movie musical boasts a cast that includes Lin-Manuel himself in a minor role and fellow Hamilton alum Anthony Ramos as the film’s main character, Usnavi de la Vega, it’s possible John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, and Cillian Murphy’s star power and the promise of quality scares make A Quiet Place Part II a more enticing return to the movie theaters.
Upcoming new movie releases that could compete financially with A Quiet Place Part II
We may already be halfway through 2021, but could A Quiet Place Part II really wind up the highest-grossing film of the year? There’s steep competition in new movie releases ahead that could help bring more and more audiences back to movie theaters. Fast & Furious 9 premieres in the US on Friday, June 25, and it’s already earned $268 million internationally and broken records in South Korea since the rest of the world first saw it on Wednesday, May 19.
Additionally, the Marvel Cinematic Universe returns to theaters on Friday, July 9, when Scarlett Johansson stars in Black Widow. MCU fans have been treated well during the pandemic with the franchise’s forays into television on Disney+. We’ll see how audiences react to movie theaters hosting the franchise’s first feature film since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home.
What upcoming 2021 film do you think could unseat A Quiet Place Part II at the box office?
More Entertainment News Like This: Hold Your Breath: ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ Keeps the Tension Alive
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