A year on after the nightmare that was 2020 and Covid-19 which saw most of the major blockbuster films being delayed, we are finally starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. More films are starting to release and with that comes the rise of the Box Office. Throughout this article, I will highlight the key films which contributed to the resurgence of the box office numbers – which are a good sign of normality that we are accustomed to seeing. It’s time for the rise of the Box Office.
*all numbers are based on worldwide grossings.
Christopher Nolan put everything on the line with Tenet where he insisted to Warner Brothers to release the film in the middle of the pandemic in July 2020. Now most people say that Tenet flopped and wasn’t successful or the box office saviour it was touted to be, but I believe they are completely wrong. Again, Tenet was released in the MIDDLE of the Covid-19 pandemic, this is when most studios were delaying their films by months or even a year and on its opening weekend alone Tenet managed to gross $51 million at the box office. It later went on to make $363.6 million at the box office which is quite impressive considering the circumstances and the restrictions cinemas had to uphold. It may not have been the billion dollar hit most people were hoping but it certainly was the starting point of the box office comeback.
Godzilla vs Kong
We fast forward to March 2021 where the world is a better place with cases starting to drop and the vaccine is starting to roll out worldwide, we also have Godzilla vs Kong releasing in cinemas. Capitalising on this good fortune and also the fact that most people were eager to see Godzilla and Kong go toe-to-toe in the film, Godzilla vs Kong opened to $48.5 million in its first weekend. In its second weekend we saw a drop of almost 57% but the two behemoths would later go onto grossing $465.7 million worldwide at the box office, impressive considering Godzilla vs Kong also released on HBO Max at the same time as its cinematic release.
A Quiet Place: Part II
The first A Quiet Place film had an opening weekend box office of 50.2 million, A Quiet Place: Part II topped that with a weekend haul of $57 million! This is impressive as restrictions on cinemas are still in place with a limit on its cinema capacity and it managed to top its predecessor in its opening weekend. A Quiet Place: Part II is still in cinemas and has grossed $290.8 million worldwide where it is still topping the charts in certain countries.
Fast & Furious 9
This is the big one. The film where everybody was saying the box office would return in all its glory. The Fast Saga is basically guaranteed to be a billion dollar hit nowadays with the past two films, Furious 7 & The Fate of the Furious, both grossing over a billion dollars. And the signs were looking good with a massive $404 million opening weekend. A month since its release, Fast & Furious 9 has grossed $623.4 million worldwide. Aside from two foreign films (Hi, Mom & Detective Chinatown 3) which have been released in four countries, Fast & Furious 9 is the top grossing film of 2021 at this stage. It is looking very unlikely that this film will cross the $1 billion mark but it’s safe to say Fast & Furious 9 has just taken a massive step in the rise of the box office.
Black Widow
Almost two years have passed since we had a MCU movie in cinemas, 11 years since this character debuted into this universe and 14 months since its original release date, Black Widow has finally graced our screens and with that – a big opening. Black Widow amassed $215 million in its opening weekend as well as $60 million it made on Disney+. Three weeks since its release it has gone onto gross $318.1 million worldwide. Now surprisingly Black Widow only enjoyed one week at the top of the box office as in its second weekend it lost its spot to Space Jam: A New Legacy and it has been dropping ever since. It may not hit the numbers we are used to seeing for a MCU movie but Black Widow could very well crawl its way to $450 million gross at the end of its theatrical run.
So far the box office is looking good, with many blockbusters releasing and pulling in those big numbers that we are used to seeing, and it can only go up from here. With Jungle Cruise set to release on July 30, Disney has a big hit on their hands and the potential of a future franchise on its hands. The Suicide Squad is due to release on August 6 and at the time of writing has an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Warner Bros. and DC will see some financial success where it can see a healthy box office run within the next few weeks and who knows what positive word of mouth can do to this film’s potential. At the end of September we have Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond in No Time To Die, this has the making of a huge hit written all over it and I’m sure the box office will reap the rewards.
With the box office starting to look healthier and upcoming releases due to come later in the year it’s safe to say the cinema industry is back on its feet once again. By the time 2022 comes round, which is stacked full of exciting and major films, the rise of the box office will finally be cemented and this two year journey would be well worth the wait.
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