Movie Web reported today that The Empire Strikes Back made its way to the number one position at the box office again this weekend. According to the outlet, the last time it was number one was 23 years ago.

Currently, movie theaters around the United States and the rest of North America are reopening following their closure near the start of the year. Most movie theaters ceased operations back in March once the quarantine lockdowns began.

Movie Web says, however, many of the big chains haven’t started up their businesses again due to the reported increase in cases. At the moment, there are 500 theaters in operation in the nation, including drive-ins.

Put simply, the box office in 2020 is a different business than it used to be. Reportedly, The Empire Strikes Back earned between $400,000 and $500,000 following its $175,000 day on Saturday.

Due to the lack of competition from the reasons mentioned above, The Empire Strikes Back managed to secure the coveted position with just a couple hundred thousand dollars. The movie first came out in the 1970s, but it was later taken to theaters again in 1997.

The followups to The Empire Strikes Back include Black Panther and Inside, which earned around $100,000 each. In 2019, movie fans went to the cinema to see films like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood as well as Spider-Man: Far From Home.

As it was previously reported, the movie business was hit hard this year due to the coronavirus. Many films were either postponed or canceled altogether. For instance, Disney’s latest production, Mulan, has been postponed for later this year.

Whereas Daniel Craig’s final appearence in No Time To Die was rescheduled twice after its initial cancelation in Chinese markets only. At the time, it was reported that the rescheduling of No Time To Die would cost the studios $30 million.

Advertisement

It’s unclear when theaters will fully open again due to the rise in cases throughout the nation, however, movie fans are probably eager to see a film the old fashioned way again.