London, Jun. 14: A Quiet Place Part II has become the first film released since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to make more than $100m at the US and Canada box office.

The symbolic feat will reassure cinema owners and exhibitors as they seek to rebound from the pandemic's devastating impact on their business.

The sequel to John Krasinski's 2018 hit has now made $109m (£77m) domestically and $90m (£63m) overseas. It was originally set to open last year before eventually opening in May.

The film stars Emily Blunt and is set in a world where humans have been hunted to near-extinction by predatory blind aliens. The aliens are highly sensitive to sound, which means the few remaining humans must stay as quiet as possible to avoid detection.

Box office takings continue to lag behind those of previous years due to a number of contributory factors. They include audience hesitancy, particularly among older cinemagoers, and competition from streaming services.

In the Heights is the film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning musical, WARNER BROS

The latter may have been a factor in the disappointing numbers posted by the film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights.

The film, which opened in cinemas on the same day it was launched on the HBO Max streaming service, took in $11.4m (£8m) in its opening weekend.

The musical, about young Latinos in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood, had been tipped to make as much as $20m (£14m) from its first three days in US and Canadian cinemas.

A Quiet Place Part II was among a large number of titles that had their scheduled releases in 2020 put back due to the worldwide pandemic.

Others include the James Bond film No Time to Die starring Daniel Craig, which is now scheduled to reach cinemas in late September.