Moviegoing increasingly looks like it didnB次元官网网址檛 die during the pandemic. It just went into hibernation.

John KrasinskiB次元官网网址檚 thriller sequel opened over the Memorial Day weekend to a pandemic-best $48.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Including the Monday holiday, the studio forecasts the film will gross $58.5 million in North America. It added another $22 million in ticket sales overseas.

The filmB次元官网网址檚 performance cheered a movie industry that . Paramount PicturesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淎 Quiet Place Part II,B次元官网网址� which was on the cusp of opening in March 2021 before theaters shut, was the first big film this year B次元官网网址� and one of the only larger budget COVID-era releases beside B次元官网网址� to open exclusively in theaters.

Chris Aronson, distribution chief for Paramount, called the opening B次元官网网址渁n unqualified success.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a huge sigh of a relief and a sense of optimism for sure,B次元官网网址� Aronson said. B次元官网网址淢ovies, moviegoing, movie theaters arenB次元官网网址檛 dead. Yes, theyB次元官网网址檝e been threatened but theyB次元官网网址檙e proving once again that theyB次元官网网址檙e resilient and that people do want to have that communal experience.B次元官网网址�

Many studios have trotted out hybrid release plans during the pandemic, debuting films simultaneously in the home. The Walt Disney Co. did that this weekend with its making it available to Disney+ subscribers for $30. In theaters, it grossed $21.3 million, Disney said, and an estimated $26.4 million over the four-day weekend. B次元官网网址淐ruellaB次元官网网址� also added $16.1 million in 29 international territories. Disney didnB次元官网网址檛 say how much the film made on the companyB次元官网网址檚 streaming platform.

B次元官网网址淎 Quiet Place IIB次元官网网址� will also turn to streaming after 45 days in theaters when it becomes available on Paramount+. One clear result of the pandemic is that the theatrical window has shrunk, probably permanently. Three months was once the customary length of a movieB次元官网网址檚 run in theaters. The yearB次元官网网址檚 previous best debut belonged to Warner Bros.B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淕odzilla vs. Kong,B次元官网网址� which opened with $32.2 million, or $48.5 million over its first five days, while simultaneously streaming on HBO Max.

The contrasting release strategies between B次元官网网址淎 Quiet Place Part IIB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淐ruellaB次元官网网址� offered a test case for Hollywood. How much does a day-and-date release cost a movie like B次元官网网址淐ruellaB次元官网网址� in ticket sales? Is it worth it? Without knowing how much B次元官网网址淐ruellaB次元官网网址� benefitted Disney+, a true comparison isnB次元官网网址檛 possible. But the strong returns for the theater-only B次元官网网址淎 Quiet Place Part IIB次元官网网址� are telling, says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. He called it a B次元官网网址減ivotal weekendB次元官网网址� for the movie industry that proved predictions of the movie theaterB次元官网网址檚 demise B次元官网网址渇lat-out wrong.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hat B次元官网网址楺uiet Place Part IIB次元官网网址� did so well makes a strong case that a theatrical-first release for a big movie is the way to go,B次元官网网址� Dergarabedian said. B次元官网网址淭his is the best possible news for an industry thatB次元官网网址檚 been dealing with probably the most profoundly challenging chapter in the history of the movie theater.B次元官网网址�

The debut of B次元官网网址淎 Quiet Place Part IIB次元官网网址� was much watched throughout Hollywood as the kickoff to . After largely sitting out the pandemic, or diverting to streaming platforms, a lineup of blockbusters are again queuing up. On tap are Warner Bros.B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淚n the Heights,B次元官网网址� UniversalsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淔9B次元官网网址� and DisneyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淏lack Widow.B次元官网网址�

Last week, Universal PicturesB次元官网网址� ninth installment in the B次元官网网址淔ast & FuriousB次元官网网址� franchise, B次元官网网址淔9,B次元官网网址� opened with $162 million in ticket sales in eight international markets, and $135 million in China alone. In its second weekend, B次元官网网址淔9,B次元官网网址� which opens in North America on June 25, raced toward $230 million worldwide.

B次元官网网址淎 Quiet Place Part IIB次元官网网址� had already had its red-carpet premiere in March last year, and spent some of its marketing budget. But it opened remarkably in line with predictions of how many tickets it would sell before the onset of the pandemic. In the intervening months, Paramount sold off many of its films to streamers B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淐oming 2 America,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淭he Trial of the Chicago 7B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� but Krasinski and the studio felt strongly that the hushed intensity of B次元官网网址淎 Quiet Place Part IIB次元官网网址� worked best on the big screen.

, Krasinski said a theatrical release was B次元官网网址渘on-negotiable.B次元官网网址� And Krasinski worked hard to stoke excitement, traveling the country in the week leading up to release to surprise moviegoers. Still, given the circumstances, he had little idea whether audiences would come out.

B次元官网网址淎s bizarre as the entire year has been is how bizarre whatever opening weekend is,B次元官网网址� Krasinski said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 really know what it is anymore.B次元官网网址�

In the end, B次元官网网址淎 Quiet Place Part IIB次元官网网址� performed a lot like how the first one did. That 2018 hit, which ultimately grossed $340 million globally on a $17 million budget, launched with $50.2 million in North American ticket sales. Sequels usually do better than the original but B次元官网网址淧art IIB次元官网网址� had far more challenges due to pandemic.

Rich Gelfond, chief executive of IMAX, where B次元官网网址淎 Quiet Place Part IIB次元官网网址� earned $4.1 million domestically, called the film B次元官网网址渢he first domestic release this year to cross the threshold from B次元官网网址榞reat opening weekend given the pandemicB次元官网网址� to B次元官网网址榞reat opening weekend, period.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Memorial Day weekend, usually one of the busiest for theaters, still didnB次元官网网址檛 look like it normally does at the movies. Total box office exceeded $80 million but thatB次元官网网址檚 about a third of the holiday weekendB次元官网网址檚 normal business. Last Memorial Day, when nearly all operating theaters were drive-ins, ticket sales amounted to $842,000, according to Comscore.

Many theaters, particularly in New York and Los Angeles, are still operating with social distancing measures. But guidelines are thawing. Last week, the nationB次元官网网址檚 top theater chains B次元官网网址� AMC, Regal, Cinemark B次元官网网址� said they would no longer require vaccinated moviegoers to wear face masks.

B次元官网网址擩ake Coyle, The Associated Press