“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” had a stellar debut at the box office, surpassing expectations by earning $80 million from 3,861 theaters in North America. The film, which features an epic battle between Godzilla and Kong teaming up to save the planet, benefited from factors such as premium large formats and audience enthusiasm, earning an “A-” CinemaScore. Despite positive reception from audiences, critics were less impressed, giving the film a 55% “rotten” average on Rotten Tomatoes. This marks the second-biggest debut for Warner Bros. and Legendary’s MonsterVerse, following 2014’s “Godzilla.”
The success of “Godzilla x Kong” is helping to offset the shortage of new releases in January and February, with box office revenues only down by 6.3% compared to the same time in 2023. Senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian notes the importance of each film’s performance in moving the needle at the box office. The combination of “Dune 2,” “Kung Fu Panda,” “Ghostbusters,” and now “Godzilla” has shown the power of key releases in turning the box office tide in a short amount of time.
The international box office is also expected to play a significant role in the success of “The New Empire,” given previous success for “Godzilla” and “Kong” movies. With a $135 million production budget, the film needs to resonate with global audiences to be financially successful. The film’s strong domestic opening has set a solid foundation for its international performance.
In terms of competition, “Godzilla x Kong” had a significant impact on Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” which experienced a steep 65% decline in its second weekend at the box office. The supernatural comedy has generated $73.4 million domestically and $108.5 million globally, requiring strong box office staying power to justify its production and marketing expenses.
Other films at the box office include “Kung Fu Panda 4,” which remained in third place, grossing $10 million domestically and over $300 million globally. “Dune: Part Two” dropped to the No. 4 spot, becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year with $600 million worldwide. Sydney Sweeney’s religious horror film “Immaculate” rounded out the top five, earning $3.2 million and totaling $11.1 million after two weeks in theaters.
Overall, the success of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” and other key releases is showing positive signs for the box office, with the potential to continue driving ticket sales and box office revenues in the coming weeks. As the film continues its run in theaters and expands to international markets, its performance will shed light on the ongoing recovery of the theatrical industry.
