2021 has not been the greatest year for the movie industry. The biggest reason for this is the pandemic and the constant uncertainty that both studios and cinema owners have had to face. Not even the audiences can be sure about where their favorite movies would release. But some films did make it to the theatres, and some of them beat all odds to perform surprisingly well. Here are 10 movies with the biggest box office openings in 2021 domestically. They are ranked from lowest to highest.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife – $44 million
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was an attempt by the studio to try and recapture the essence of what made the Ghostbuster series so good. It was all about that sense of mystery and it did remind us of the old movies. With Paul Rudd in the leading role, the movie explored concepts of time travel and invoked a sense of nostalgia from die-hard Ghostbusters fans. This culminated in the movie’s $44 million opening but the revenue soon declined as it ended its theatrical run at only $194 million against a budget of $116 million.
A Quiet Place Part 2 – $47.5 million
A Quiet Place Part 2 is the next installment in the horror franchise. It is a direct sequel to the first film and was also one of those movies which were greatly affected by the pandemic. This was also one of the year’s first releases. So a $47.5 million opening was more than what everyone was expecting. The movie ended up making a total gross revenue of $297 million by the end of its theatrical run, which motivated the studio enough to start the production process for part 3.
Halloween Kills – $49.4 million
The newly started Halloween series seem to be doing especially well for the scope of its production. The second installment in the franchise, Halloween Kills, made $49.4 million on its opening weekend. This movie was produced with a budget of only $20 million, so imagine the ecstasy of the producers when it ended its theatrical run with $131 million.
No Time To Die – $55.2 million
No Time To Die is the send-off to Daniel Craig’s Bond in the most satisfying way possible. Although the movie received positive reviews on release, the opening of $55.2 million indicated a bombastic Box Office performance. The movie ended its theatrical run at $774 million, making it one of the top performers of the year and one of the highest-grossing movies ever.
F9 – $70 million
F9: The Fast Saga was one of the most awaited sequels and one that was delayed because of the pandemic. The movie had some interesting plot points to explore, so it made sense that it received an explosive opening of $70 million. Dom and family did some amazing stunts and ended their theatrical run at $726 million, just below No Time To Die.
Eternals – $71.2 million
Eternals was Chloe Zhao’s directorial debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie had some big responsibilities to discharge. It had to introduce 10 superheroes and also talk about the cosmic side of Marvel all in one 3 hour movie. Everyone did their best and Marvel’s marketing effort netted the movie a bombastic opening of $71.2 million.
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings – $75 million
Marvel also introduced us to the mystic beings this year. The mystical realm of Ta Lo was one of the strangest and fascinating places we have visited in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the movie’s core strength was its tight choreography and a very strong third act. So it came as no surprise to anyone that it made $75 million on its opening weekend.
Black Widow – $80 million
Another movie that was affected by the pandemic was Black Widow, which received a mixed release on both Disney+ and theatres. Still, it received one of the biggest openings of the year, settling at $80 million by the time Sunday ended. Clearly, Natasha Romanoff was doing something right in the film. The movie ended its theatrical run at $379 million.
Venom: Let There be Carnage – $90 million
Let There Be Carnage was one of the most awaited releases of the year. The movie was not long and fans were eagerly awaiting a tightly packed sequel to Venom. So the $90 million openings surprised no one. It was expected to make a lot of money. However, the theatrical run soon ran out of steam and settled at $501 million, which was lower than the studio expected.
Spider-Man: No Way Home – $260 million
No Way Home was the highlight of 2021 as far as the superhero genre goes. The movie made a splash at the box office with its $260 million openings and has gone on to become one of the all-time top grosser in the movie industry. It has made $1.629 billion worldwide, already beating The Avengers and it is slated to beat The Lion King soon. And, it has even beaten Black Panther’s domestic numbers having made $702 million.
So these were the movies with the biggest box office openings in 2021 domestically.
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