You might not have expected Godzilla vs. Kong to be the film that would give the industry hope during the pandemic, but it looks like that’s exactly what’s happening. After its release last Wednesday, the film has earned $48.5 million domestically, destroying previous box office records during the pandemic. Worldwide the action-packed monster sequel has already earned a whopping $285 million.

The recent Wonder Woman sequel, Wonder Woman 1984 held the previous record for domestic box office sales with $16.7 million in three days. Godzilla vs. Kong’s intake is especially impressive considering that the film is currently available for free to HBO Max subscribers.

“This is a great sign that the release calendar will stabilize and audiences everywhere will have a bonafide summer of blockbusters,” says media analyst at Exhibitor Relations Jeff Bock. “With vaccinations being dished out at a record pace and social distancing protocols still in place, we should see a nice ramp up into summer cinema.”

Second place at the domestic weekend box office went to Sony’s horror film, The Unholy, which grossed $3.2 million from 1,850 locations. It narrowly beat out the Bob Odenkirk-led action Thriller from Universal, Nobody.

It’s only a matter of time before the huge tentpoles that have been repeatedly pushed back release in theaters, and it seems like audiences are just about ready to return to crowded auditoriums. A few of the big titles coming soon include A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella, In the Heights, F9, Top Gun: Maverick.