A Quiet Place Part II makes noise at the weekend box office!

A Quiet Place sequel arrives with a bang!

Audiences rushed back to theaters for silent scares on this Memorial Day weekend, putting A QUIET PLACE: PART II on top at the box office with an estimated opening of $48.3 million!

The hushed horror sequel, with Emily Blunt returning to protect her family from aliens with excellent hearing, is expected to collect $58.5 million over the four-day domestic holiday weekend.

The new post-apocalyptic terror tale had the strongest box office debut since SONIC THE HEDGEHOG opened with $58 million back in February 2020, about a month before global lockdown began.

Again written and directed by the first movie's co-star John Krasinski, the sequel was originally planned for release in March 2020 (and even had a world premiere in New York City) before the coronavirus pandemic delayed everything. It was initially shifted to April 2021, then to September 2021, before effectively kicking off the 2021 summer movie season this weekend.

The PG-13 Paramount release, which also stars Cillian Murphy, Djimon Hounsou, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe, has already frightened up a worldwide total of $70.4 million.

The sequel cost a reported $61 million — a substantial jump over the $17 million budget of A QUIET PLACE. The first movie opened to $50.2 million in April 2018 before ultimately finishing with $188 million domestic and $335 million worldwide.

Critics appreciated the tense survival story, giving the movie an average of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes (just a slight drop from the original's 96% average) and a score of 71 on Metacritic. Sneak on over to the JoBlo review HERE.

Opening in second place was Disney's CRUELLA with an estimated $21.3 million for the three-day weekend, and an anticipated four-day holiday weekend take of $26.5 million.

The live-action prequel stars Emma Stone as iconic Disney villainess Cruella de Vil, the dastardly puppy-chasing antagonist of the animated 101 DALMATIANS (which was previously brought to life in 1996 with Glenn Close as the fur fanatic).

CRUELLA is the second Disney adaptation (after last year's MULAN) based on a G-rated cartoon feature to get a PG-13 rating when going to live-action.

Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, TONYA) and also starring Emma Thompson and Mark Strong, the movie was simultaneously made available on the Disney+ streaming platform (for an extra 30 bones).

Critics were only moderately intrigued by the origin story, giving the movie a 73% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 60. Vamp on over to the JoBlo review HERE.

In third place was the R-rated horror sequel/spinoff SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW with $2.27 million for the three-day weekend. Lionsgate's Chris Rock/Samuel L. Jackson thriller has a domestic total of $19.7 million on its third weekend.

The Jason Statham action-thriller WRATH OF MAN was in fourth place with $2.1 million over its fourth domestic weekend. Director Guy Ritchie's latest R-rated effort has a domestic total of $22.1 million and $72 million worldwide.

In fifth place was the Disney fantasy RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON with $2 million, a boost over last week despite being in theaters for 13 weekends now. The PG-rated animated adventure has a domestic total of $50.8 million and $111.5 million worldwide.

The bottom half of the list drops to six-figure weekend totals, with GODZILLA VS. KONG in sixth place on its ninth weekend, and R-rated anime DEMON SLAYER – THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN following in seventh.

The feel-good equestrian comedy DREAM HORSE moved up a spot to eighth place on its second weekend, while the Angelina Jolie action-thriller THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD is burning out in ninth place after only three weekends in theaters.

For whatever reason, Paramount re-released the 2013 zombie movie WORLD WAR Z onto 80 screens, clutching $347,000 for the three-day weekend.

The PG-13 Brad Pitt horror-thriller from director Marc Forster (adapted from the Max Brooks book) has a cumulative domestic total of $203 million and $540 million worldwide.

Outside the chart, the R-rated videogame adaptation MORTAL KOMBAT received a fatality, and the domestic theatrical release of animated movie SCOOB! departed along with romantic drama FINDING YOU.

Overseas, the FAST & FURIOUS sequel F9 continues to rev its engines with a worldwide total of $229 million (despite sputtering by 85% in China) before it arrives in North American theaters on June 25.

Next weekend has the horror sequel THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT, and the DreamWorks animated horse adventure SPIRIT UNTAMED gallops into theaters.

What is your favorite Emily Blunt performance? VOTE HERE!