How’s this for some shocking good news? Warner Bros./Legendary’s “A Minecraft Movie” has exploded past even the most optimistic of expectations and is now projected by industry estimates to earn a $156 million domestic opening weekend from 4,263 locations.

This is the sort of opening that can completely change the trajectory of the theatrical market, especially after a March in which overall domestic totals crashed below $400 million. If “Minecraft” had been released in March, this result would stand as the third highest opening ever in that month behind only the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast” remake and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

And for Warner Bros., this result makes “Minecraft” only the sixth movie in studio history to clear $150 million. Chalk it up as another win in the studio’s fruitful partnership with Legendary Pictures, which also produces “Godzilla x Kong” and the “Dune” films.

Prior to release, tracking...