Paramount Pictures' highly-anticipated horror sequel A Quiet Place Part II is expected to exceed all pre-release box office expectations this Memorial Day weekend and surpass Warner Bros.' Godzilla Vs. Kong's five day opening total of $48.5 million.
The John Krasinski-directed horror sequel is set to take in an estimated $57 million over the 4-day weekend, setting a new pandemic era domestic opening weekend record. The movie's projections were quite a bit lower prior to release, settling in the low $40 million range. These impressive numbers are also notable because they are roughly in line with what the film was expected to make prior to the pandemic when it was originally set to hit theaters last March.
This is obviously another positive step forward for the preservation of the big screen experience, and with more than 60% of U.S. adults having received at least one shot of the vaccine, AMC, Regal, and Cinemark recently announced that they will no longer require fully vaccinated guests to wear face masks.
A Quiet Place Part III is officially in development, with Jeff Nichols (Mud, Midnight Special, Loving, Take Shelter) attached to write and possibly direct in place of Krasinski.
Disney’s Cruella, which is now available on Disney+ Premiere Access and is also screening in 3,892 theaters, is expected to earn approximately $26.5 million over the holiday (you can check out my review HERE).