Obviously, not everyone is ready to run back to movie theaters, even if New York cinemas can hypothetically open at 25 percent capacity next month. Those that did run to the theaters, however, apparently ran to see Tom and Jerry, the latest Colin Jost vehicle from Warner Bros. Pictures. According to Variety, if you factor in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Tom and Jerry did more than chase its tail during its opening weekend, earning over $13.7 million at the domestic box office. Only 2,475 theaters are currently open in some capacity, which is 42 percent of the country’s theaters. The movie is reportedly the first film to break $10 million in the past ten months, other than Wonder Woman 1984, which earned $16.7 million domestic its opening weekend back in December.
Of course, “Tom and Jerry made more money its opening weekend than Tenet†isn’t the shocking sentence it would be in, say, 2018, given the social-distancing guidelines designed to protect would-be moviegoers from contracting and spreading COVID-19. Still, considering Tom and Jerry is also simultaneously available on HBO Max, it seems like encouraging news for movie theaters that people will still turn out to see a show. It’s also good news for Tom and Jerry themselves. It must be stressful to be constantly fighting all the time, so maybe this will help take the edge off.