NEW YORK (AP) – A not-so-distant recovery for cinemas caught on Sunday, when Warner Bros. Live-action-animation hybrid ‘Tom & Jerry’ debuted with $ 13.7 million in ticket sales, the best domestic opening of the year.
The better-than-expected opening came despite only 42% of US theaters being open, according to data company Comscore. “Tom & Jerry” also played in 2,475 North American cinemas simultaneously, as well as at home, where it will be streamed on HBO Max for a month.
Still, “Tom & Jerry” still managed to hit the pandemic’s second-best opening after Warner Bros. “Wonder Woman 1984,” which launched with $ 16.7 million in December and landed on HBO Max at the same time. The upcoming debut – ‘Tenet’, ‘The Croods: A New Age’ – made about $ 10 million on its opening weekend.
“With half of the theaters still closed, the pandemic still a threat and ‘Tom & Jerry’ available at home, this is a very good opening,” said David A. Gross, who heads the film consultancy Franchise Entertainment Research. “Under normal circumstances, this weekend would be well over $ 35 million – a positive sign for the company and the fact that the cinema has home entertainment.”
“Tom & Jerry” has also made $ 25.1 million internationally, bringing the worldwide total to $ 38.8 million, according to the studio’s estimates. The film, directed by Tim Story and based on the characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, stars Chloë Grace Moretz.
Theaters in some crucial markets are also about to come online. On Friday, the theaters in New York City are allowed to open for the first time since March last year with a capacity of 25%. Next week, Disney is launching the animated “Raya and the Last Dragon” in theaters and on Disney + for $ 30, not including subscription fees.
Although Warner Bros. criticized by some for leaving cinemas when it announced plans to send all 2021 films to both HBO Max and cinemas, the studio is currently a lifeline for theaters. The studio’s films – including “The Little Things,” “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “Wonder Woman 1984” – accounted for about 80% of domestic weekend ticket sales.
Private rental reservations contribute to the modest return on cinema visits. Family, friends and “pods” have booked an entire theater. Warner Bros. said “Tom & Jerry” has already seen more than 10,000 such bookings.
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP