Los Angeles, May 31 (IANS): The much-hyped horror thriller "A Quiet Place Part II" seems to have breathed life back into the North American box office, after Hollywood film business was paralysed over most of the past months owing to the pandemic. The Emily Blunt-starrer has recorded a $48 million opening weekend from Friday to Sunday, marking the biggest three-day theatrical haul so far in the Covid era.

The post-apocalyptic drama is a sequel to the 2018 global blockbuster "A Quiet Place", and is directed by Blunt's actor-filmmaker husband, John Krasinski. According to variety.com, the film opened across 3,726 venues and, with Monday being Memorial Day, is expected to end up with a four-day collection of around $58 million.

The sequel has been produced at a budget of $61million, which is a substantial rise from the $17-million cost tag of the first film released only three years ago. "A Quiet Place Part II" was originally scheduled for a March opening last year and the decision of the producing studio, Paramount Pictures, to risk holding onto release for well over a year seems to have paid off.

Among other recent theatrical releases from Hollywood, "Godzilla Vs. Kong" saw an impressive weekend despite opening amidst the pandemic. The film raked in $32 million in its three-day weekend upon release on March 24, and has so far grossed $98.3 million at the US box office.