Let’s preview the movie box office for the Memorial Day weekend 2021. A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella are the new movies kicking off the Summer season.
A Quiet Place Part II is the sequel to the well receiving 2018 horror film. That original made $341 million at the box office on a budget of $17-21 million. In addition, it made many enthusiasts “top films of the year” lists and stands with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score.
John Krasinksi returns to direct Part II. Furthermore, the reviews have been and it has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes Fresh score currently. Importantly, Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy return to act in the sequel, along with Krasinski.
Deadline reports that A Quiet Place Part II brought in $4.8 million on Thursday night previews. That sets things up for the Krasinksi directed film to compete with Godzilla vs. Kong for the biggest opening frame of the pandemic era. The monster movie brought in $32.2 million on the 3 day Easter weekend. Horror films have been durable during as theaters reopened this year. Additionally, Part II has a built in audience waiting for the film that was delayed for a year due to the pandemic. However, we’re not seeing sellouts Friday night while scanning AMC Theatres around the country. According to Google Trends, Utah, Arizona, Texas, California and Nevada are expressing the most interest in the sequel.
Cruella is trending at #2 among Google Search Trends Friday afternoon, behind only the Los Angeles Lakers. Deadline reported that Cruella made $1.4 million Thursday evening in theaters. Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge screened the Disney film at a drive-in for NHS staff in the UK last night.
The Emma Stone film will also be available on Disney+ Premier Access for streaming at home. For comparison, Warner Bros’ Tom & Jerry opened with $13.87 million in its opening frame (in addition to streaming on HBO Max) in February. To be clear, Cruella is expected to do much better than that.
Past is Prologue
Rewinding to last weekend, Spiral led the pack with $4.6 million at 2,991 theater locations. The domestic cume reached $15.8 million. Additionally, Wrath of Man added nearly $3 million to its $18.8 million total domestic haul.
| Title | Weekend of May 21 Total |
| Spiral | $4,550,000 |
| Wrath Of Man | $2,935,000 |
| Those Who Wish Me Dead | $1,835,000 |
| Raya And The Last Dragon | $1,662,000 |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | $1,435,000 |
| Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train | $1,300,000 |
| Mortal Kombat | $935,000 |
| Dream Horse | $844,279 |
| Finding You | $670,330 |
| Profile | $500,000 |
| Tom & Jerry | $330,000 |
| Here Today | $322,000 |
Looking Ahead
Next weekend, another horror thriller, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, bows in theaters. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga headline the cast. In addition, the animated Spirit Untamed will be the family entry for the June 4 weekend.
All eyes continue to be on the newest Fast & Furious entry, F9, releasing June 25. That action fest is seen as the best barometer of the health of global cinema. We think July 9’s Black Window will be just as important, though that will have a streaming option via Disney+ Premier Access.
