More than a year after it was first scheduled to be released, director/writer John Krasinski's A Quiet Place Part II finally debuted with a record-breaking opening at the weekend box office. The highly anticipated horror sequel starring Emily Blunt as a mother struggling to survive as she and her two children are surrounded by creatures who hunt by sound, exceeded expectations and earned a monstrous $48.4 million -- the highest three-day opening of any film released since the pandemic began. Making this feat even more impressive is that, with only around 75% of U.S. theaters reopened and many still facing capacity restrictions, it's not far off from the $55 million it was expected to make pre-pandemic. The first movie, A Quiet Place, debuted in 2018 to $50.2 million.
Another new movie shot straight to second place. Cruella, starring Emma Stone in the title role and Emma Thompson as her mentor, debuted with $21.3 million, not a bad total as it also released on Friday to Disney+ subscribers for a extra fee. Watch our interviews with supporting cast members Mark Strong and Kirby Howell-Baptiste.
Last weekend's top movie, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, dropped to third. Earning an additional $2.3 million, it now has a three-week total of $19.8 million.
Director Guy Ritchie's action thriller Wrath of Man starring Jason Statham dropped two spots to fourth, earning an extra $2.1 million for a four-week domestic total of $22.1 million.
Rounding out the top five was Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon, now in its 13th weekend in theaters. Dropping a spot from last weekend's fourth place finish, the animated film brought in an additional $2 million for a total of $50.9 million. ~Alexandra Heilbron