Paramount's horror film "A Quiet Place Part II" reclaimed the top spot at North American box office after defeating Warner Bros.' new film "In the Heights" in a tight race with an estimated 11.65 million US dollars from 3,515 theaters in its third weekend of release, according to studio figures collected by measurement firm Comscore.
"A Quiet Place Part II" has grossed 108.99 million dollars so far in North America, making it the first film in the COVID-19 era to surpass 100-million-dollar revenue mark in the region.
The sequel to the 2018 film "A Quiet Place" also smashed the record for the biggest opening weekend of the COVID-19 era in North America two weeks ago.
"Paramount continues to ride a wave of great reviews and tremendous box office with 'A Quiet Place Part II' that continues to generate massive audience excitement for the movie theater experience," wrote senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian at Comscore in an email to Xinhua.
American filmmaker John Krasinski directed and co-wrote both Quiet Place films about a family surviving in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by blind monsters with an acute sense of hearing. Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe reprise their roles from the first film.
Following the deadly events at home, the family must now face the terrors of the outside world in the sequel as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
Comscore data also showed the film grossed 16 million dollars on the third international weekend in 37 markets including 21 new openings, pushing its international cume to 75.8 million dollars.
"A Quiet Place Part II" remained a box office hit in China. According to the data compiled by Maoyan, a Chinese movie-ticketing and film data platform, the film earned 221 million yuan (around 34.54 million U.S. dollars) after 17 days of launch in the Chinese mainland.
The highly-anticipated musical drama film "In the Heights" came in a close second with an estimated 11.4 million dollars from 3,456 locations in its opening weekend.
Helmed by Jon M. Chu, the Chinese American director of 2018's romantic comedy film "Crazy Rich Asians," and based on the stage musical of the same name, the film stars Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Gregory Diaz IV, among others.
The film, filmed in New York, primarily on location in the dynamic community of Washington Heights, tells the story of a bodega owner who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life.
Another newcomer, Sony's animated adventure comedy film "Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway" opened in third with 10.4 million dollars from 3,346 locations this weekend.
Directed by Will Gluck, the sequel to 2018's "Peter Rabbit" stars the voice of James Corden as the title character. Adventuring out of the garden in the sequel, Peter finds himself in a world where his mischief is appreciated, but when his family risks everything to come looking for him, Peter must figure out what kind of bunny he wants to be.
Warner Bros. and New Line's horror film "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" landed in fourth with 10.02 million dollars from 3,237 locations in its second weekend for a North American total of 43.77 million dollars.
The film serves as a sequel to 2013's "The Conjuring" and 2016's "The Conjuring 2." It is also the seventh film in the "Conjuring" Universe, which includes the first two "Conjuring" films, as well as "Annabelle" and "Annabelle: Creation," "The Nun" and "Annabelle Comes Home."
Directed by Michael Chaves and starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, the latest "Conjuring" film is based on a 1981 real-life murder trial, the first known court case in the United States in which the murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
Disney's crime comedy film "Cruella" finished fifth with 6.7 million dollars from 3,307 locations in its third weekend, pushing its North American total to 55.95 million dollars.
Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson among others, the film, set in 1970s London amid the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, as she explores the path that will lead her to become a notorious up and coming fashion designer known as Cruella de Vil.
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