Godzilla vs. Kong smashes box office earnings, as cinemas slowly reopen
Globally, Godzilla vs. Kong, part the Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ battle of the titans MonsterVerse combination continued to smash expectations, earning $13 million this weekend across all markets, according to the group.
Through the IMAX franchise, the duo scored its biggest domestic opening weekend in more than a year as “Godzilla vs. Kong” earned $4.5 million on 284 screens. Over 1,000 domestic IMAX shows were sold-out over the 5-day opening, nearly 25 percent of all IMAX showtimes over that period.
Film Critic page Rotten Tomatoes, heaps praise on the film, noting “Legends collide in “Godzilla vs. Kong” as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.”
Mere plots and characters take a back seat to this action fest, the page says in a number of ways.
Ultimately rating it a 93 percent audience rating on the Popcorn Meter!
“‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ has emerged as a symbol of the enduring strength of the theatrical experience for blockbuster filmmaking, delivering great box office even with many theatres still closed and significant capacity restrictions,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, in a statement.
“Make no mistake — this film has become a global event because it received a global theatrical release, and the phenomenal pipeline of tentpole films ahead have the chance to capitalize on the same opportunity.”
This all amid, the slowed and partial theater reopening’s from the ongoing pandemic.
Despite capacity limitations of up to 25 percent in North America, a particularly challenging environment for IMAX given its theatre design, and a day-and-date release on streaming, “Godzilla vs. Kong” now stands as IMAX’s best domestic opening since January 2020.
IMAX screens accounted for 9.3 percent of the overall weekend box office domestically. Notably, many capacity restrictions including the 25 percent limit in California are planned to be eased in the coming weeks.
The film continued its success globally, earning another $6.5 million since Wednesday in China while reaching a 10-day cumulative $18 million, over 13 percent of the nationwide box office and the highest 10-day cumulative of the Godzilla and Kong franchise ever for IMAX in China.
The China cumulative to-date is already nearly double the final IMAX China box office for “Kong: Skull Island” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.”
The impressive results follow a pandemic-best opening internationally for the film last week, with some markets increasing their IMAX box office over last weekend’s openings. IMAX has earned $28 million across all markets globally for the film to-date, 10 percent of the overall total.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” will continue its run in IMAX through April 21 in domestic markets and mid-to-late April in most international markets including China, with openings in Brazil and Japan, scheduled for April 29 and May 14, respectively.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Community section to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.