Godzilla vs. Kong Takes in $9.6 Million Opening Day, Best Box Office Since Pandemic

Despite being available to all HBO Max subscribers, Godzilla vs. Kong made a major impact at movie theaters on its opening day, with the film scoring an estimated $9.6 million across its 2,409 domestic screens. This marks the biggest opening day for a movie since March of 2020, with Wonder Woman 1984 previously earning $7.5 million last December. The big difference, of course, is that vaccinations are being distributed around the world and have thus allowed more movie theaters to operate at a higher capacity. Ahead of its domestic debut, the film was estimated to take in as much as $30 million in its five-day opening, with this opening day total boding well for the latest entry into Legendary's MonsterVerse.

As if the safety of movie audiences improving in recent months wasn't enough of a draw for the new film, it also serves as the culmination of the shared universe of monster reboots that kicked off with 2014's Godzilla. Despite how difficult it is to compare Godzilla vs. Kong's release to its predecessors, given how drastically different the movie-going environment has been since the pandemic started, these box office numbers confirm that this was an event that audiences wanted to witness on a big screen, even if they had access to it at home with their HBO Max subscriptions.

American audiences weren't the only ones passionate about the new film, as Godzilla vs. Kong's international turnout was just as impressive. Opening in international markets last weekend, the film opened with $121.8 million, another best since the pandemic began shuttering theaters.

Similar to other shared universes that have popped up in the past decade, fans often see them as existing on an unending spectrum, feeling as though there are countless stories to be told within these franchises. Of course, the future often rests on how well the films perform, with the financial disappointments of the Dark Universe and the DC Extended Universe seeing studios shift gears entirely. This box office haul is promising for the MonsterVerse, but this collision of two of the most iconic monsters in history has left fans wondering where else the series could go.

Director Adam Wingard isn't ruling out more monster mayhem in the future.

"Who knows what the future holds... if the fan enthusiasm is there, then absolutely, why would we ever end this thing if people want more?" the filmmaker shared during IGN Fan Fest.

Godzilla vs. Kong is out now in theaters and on HBO Max.

Are you hoping this leads to more MonsterVerse movies? Let us know in the comments below!