“Godzilla vs. Kong ”paved the way for a box office record in the pandemic era, giving Hollywood studios and cinema owners hope that people are ready to return to the cinema after a year of watching Netflix at home.
The support axis, from Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment, generated $ 32 million over the weekend and $ 48.5 million in the first five days of release. This exceeded industry expectations and easily marked the biggest debut since the advent of the coronavirus. Prior to this weekend, “Wonder Woman 1984” had the biggest start of three days with $ 16.7 million, followed by “Tom and Jerry” with $ 14 million.
The results of “Godzilla vs. Kong ”are especially impressive because the film is also available to HBO Max subscribers at no extra charge. Without providing specific statistics or metrics, the studio said that “Godzilla vs. Kong “had a” larger audience than any other film or program on HBO Max since launch “. In Canada, where 80% of the market is still closed, “Godzilla vs. Kong ”was released simultaneously on premium video on demand and raised $ 3 million through multiple digital platforms.
David A. Gross, who runs the film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, called the weekend’s debut numbers “strong” given the “still difficult conditions”. “Although it is half of what it would be under normal circumstances, the weekend is a clear and positive indication that the trip to the cinema has inherent forces that are not disappearing,” he said.
At the international box office, where “Godzilla vs. Kong ”debuted last weekend, revenue from the monster mashup exceeded $ 236 million. He raised an additional $ 71 million overseas this weekend, including a strong $ 44 million in China, bringing the film’s overall score to $ 285 million.
Ticket sales for “Godzilla vs. Kong ”are certainly encouraging, but the US box office has not yet fully recovered from the devastating one-year closure due to the pandemic. More than 55% of movie theaters in the country have reopened, according to Comscore. But many – including those in New York City and Los Angeles – operate with reduced capacity to comply with pandemic security protocols.
And the release schedule, at least until Memorial Day weekend in May, remains light on potential box office successes. However, the screening of “Godzilla vs. Kong “can encourage Hollywood studios to keep dates for hectic summer titles, including Disney’s” A Quiet Place Part II “and” Cruella “(May 28), Warner Bros. ‘musical “In the Heights” (June 11), sequel to “Fast and Furious” “F9” (June 25) and “Top Gun: Maverick” (July 2).
“This is a great sign that the release schedule will stabilize and audiences everywhere will have a genuine summer of box office hits,” said Jeff Bock, media analyst at Exhibitor Relations. Although the pandemic has not dissipated, he points out, it appears to be moving in a positive direction. “With vaccines being administered at a record pace and social distancing protocols still in place, we should see good growth in summer cinema.”
Directed by Adam Wingard, “Godzilla vs. Kong ”is the type of escapist and action-packed support that seems to benefit from the theatrical experience. The public can enjoy it on their sofa, to be sure, but analysts suggest that people were eager to see the famous monsters face off on the largest screen possible. Warner Bros. says premium formats, including Imax and Dolby Cinema, accounted for a significant portion of this weekend’s sales. And moviegoers seem to like the epic clash of titans, giving the movie an “A” on Cinemascore. His other MonsterVerse franchise titles, “Godzilla” 2014, “Kong: Skull Island” 2017 and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” 2019, were popular, but not as well received.
“Time is everything, and ‘Godzilla vs. Kong ‘has come to the perfect crossroads of a time of growing consumer confidence and repressed desire to go to the cinema, coming face to face with a film that literally screams’ event film’, says Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore.
“Godzilla vs. Kong ”was not the only release this weekend. Sony Pictures’ horror film, “The Unholy,” grossed $ 3.2 million from 1,850 locations, a modest start for the low-budget film. He narrowly beat Universal’s action thriller “Nobody” for second place on the box office charts. “Nobody,” starring Bob Odenkirk as a well-mannered father who became vigilant, took third place with $ 3 million in his second weekend, increasing his domestic count to $ 11.8 million.
In fourth place, Disney’s animated adventure “Raya and the Last Dragon” raised $ 2 million in 2,031 locations. The film, which is also running on Disney Plus for a $ 30 premium fee, raised $ 32 million at the national box office. “Tom and Jerry” completed the top five, amassing $ 1.5 million in their sixth weekend in theaters. To date, the film has grossed $ 39.5 million in the United States. It is also available on HBO Max.