Mortal Kombat & Demon Slayer Locked in Battle For Weekend Box Office's Top Spot

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The recently released Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train are currently battling it out for the top spot at this weekend's domestic box office. Both movies are releasing during a trepidatious time for theatrical films as the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have created a decrease in movie-going and a drop in box office performance that has lasted for over a year. Big blockbusters films like Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984 performed poorly in the United States, causing a chain-reaction of theatrical delays in order to avoid more box office flops. However, the recently released Godzilla vs. Kong performed better than expected, pointing toward a possible resurgence in the domestic box office.

Now, (via Deadline) both Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer are going head-to-head for domestic box office supremacy. Both films are significantly out-grossing their projected weekend earnings of around $10 million and are likely to hit over $19 million each. For comparison, that would still be shy of beating Godzilla vs. Kong's $31 million domestic opening, but would easily beat Tenet's $9 million and WW84's $16 million.

RELATED: Mortal Kombat 2021: Why The Reviews Are So Mixed

Demon Slayer also marks the most successful domestic box office weekend for Funimation, and it's surprising to see an anime movie (even one as popular as Demon Slayer has proven to be) challenging a Hollywood blockbuster at the box office. Of course, Mortal Kombat is also available to stream on HBO Max, and it's likely the convenience and safety of home streaming will have some effect on the film's domestic box office haul.

While the pandemic is far from over, vaccine rollouts have reached significant numbers and the reopening of theatrical hotspots like New York City and Los Angeles have also helped produced numbers that have far exceeded expectations. The high box office numbers for both Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train lend credence to the idea that many people are ready to return to the cinema.