Paramount’s “A Quiet Place — Part II” may be a sign that the box office is recovering faster than expected, earning an estimated $57 million four-day opening from 3,726 theaters this Memorial Day weekend.
Prior to release, projections for the horror sequel were much lower given the unpredictability of the post-pandemic theatrical market, settling in the low $40 million range. Instead, “Quiet Place II” has opened at levels originally predicted for the film before theaters closed worldwide in March 2020. Globally, the film has a launch of $79 million, with $22 million coming from five markets, including $14.9 million from China.
The film also arrived just as AMC, Regal and Cinemark announced they will no longer require vaccinated moviegoers to wear masks in their theaters, though the nationwide chains will maintain other COVID-19 safety protocols such as distancing between moviegoer groups. According to the CDC, 62% of Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the seven-day average of daily new cases nationwide has fallen below 20,000 as of this weekend.
Those improving conditions, combined with strong word-of-mouth praise for “Quiet Place II,” are setting the film up for a domestic theatrical run that could be just as strong as the original 2018 film, even with a shortened theatrical window that will see the film premiering on Paramount+ 45 days after release. Along with a 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an A- from CinemaScore audience polls — up from a B+ for the first “Quiet Place” — and a 4/5 on Postrak. Audience demographics are also more diverse at 44% White — compared to 53% for the first film — along with 28% Latino, 16% Black and 9% Asian.
Disney’s “Cruella” will take second this weekend with a $26.5 million four-day opening from 3,892 theaters, releasing this weekend both in theaters and as a Disney+ premium title. The Emma Stone starrer has also received positive reviews, with an A on CinemaScore and a 72% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Lionsgate’s “Spiral” and MGM/UA’s “Wrath of Man” will be narrowly locked for third, with “Wrath of Man” currently holding a four-day estimate of $2.8 million and “Spiral” just behind with $2.77 million. “Wrath of Man” has a total of $22.8 million after four weekends, while “Spiral” has a total of $20.2 million after three weekends. Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” completes the top 5 with $2.7 million, giving it a total of $51.6 million after 13 weekends.