Cast member Gal Gadot poses at the premiere of ‘Wonder Woman,’ in Los Angeles, California, May 25, 2017. Photo: Reuters / Mario Anzuoni.

i24News – “Wonder Woman 1984,” starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, earned $16.7 million in the US and Canada during its opening weekend, a better box office debut than any other movie released during the coronavirus pandemic, studio estimates said Sunday.

Typically a weak opening weekend during Christmas, the studio hailed the ticket sales with just over a third of North American theaters currently open, according to media analytics company Comscore.

Estimates before the pandemic affected the movie industry approximated earnings at close to $1 billion, but current assessments have the movie, which cost $200 million to make, earning $180 million.

“Wonder Woman 1984 broke records and exceeded our expectations across all of our key viewing and subscriber metrics in its first 24 hours on the service, and the interest and momentum we’re seeing indicates this will likely continue well beyond the weekend,” said Andy Forssell, executive vice president and general manager for WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer operations.

“During these very difficult times, it was nice to give families the option of enjoying this uplifting film at home, where theater viewing wasn’t an option,” he added.

The movie played in 2,150 theaters, with nearly half of HBO Max’s subscribers also streaming the movie on Christmas Day, according to company data.

In comparison, 2017’s “Wonder Woman” broke records for the most lucrative movie directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins.

Warner Bros. announced it would make another sequel, “Wonder Woman 3,” with both Jenkins and Gadot returning.