Godzilla vs. Kong Breathes Life Into Domestic Box Office During Opening Weekend

Godzilla vs. Kong reigns supreme at the box office in its five-day opening weekend. Over the course of those five days, the film has earned $48.5 million, breathing some new life into the domestic box office still struggling against the coronavirus pandemic. With vaccines rolling out nationwide, Godzilla vs. Kong saw the biggest box office opening since the pandemic began, even while simultaneously debuting on HBO Max. The film is a sequel/crossover following 2014’s Godzilla, 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The film is doing well with critics, earning a fresh approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes. ComicBook.com‘s Charlie Ridgley gave the film a 4-out-of-5 rating in his review.

“Godzilla vs. Kong is the monster movie we’ve all been waiting for,” Ridgley writes in the review. “Is it a perfect film? Absolutely not. But it’s the most fun you’ll have with a movie this year. If it’s safe to attend a movie theater where you are, or you’ve been vaccinated and can’t wait to get back out there, there’s nothing quite like seeing Godzilla vs. Kong on the big screen. The word ‘stunning’ only begins to cover it.”

The film has also been received warmly by audiences, aside from those review-bombing the film in an attempt to advance the Restore the SnyderVerse campaign. The film has earned $285 million worldwide.

The Unholy opens in second place, followed by last week’s chart-topper, Nobody. Raya and the Last Dragon, Tom & Jerry, The Courier, Chaos Walking, and The Croods: A New Age also remain in the top 10 for another week.

Have you seen Godzilla vs. Kong? What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments. Godzilla vs. Kong is now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.

1. Godzilla vs. Kong

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $48.5 million

Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home. Along for the ride is Jia, an orphaned girl who has a unique and powerful bond with the mighty beast. However, they soon find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla as he cuts a swath of destruction across the globe. The initial confrontation between the two titans — instigated by unseen forces — is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the planet.

Godzilla vs. Kong is directed by Adam Wingard. The film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, and Demián Bichir.

2. The Unholy

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $3.2 million

Terror strikes when a disgraced journalist investigates a girl who has the inexplicable power to heal the sick.

The Unholy is written by directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos, based on James Herbert’s 1984 novel Shrine. The films stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Katie Aselton, William Sadler, Diogo Morgado, Cricket Brown, and Cary Elwes

3. Nobody

• Week Two
• Weekend: 3.07 million
• Total: $11.8 million

Hutch Mansell fails to defend himself or his family when two thieves break into his suburban home one night. The aftermath of the incident soon strikes a match to his long-simmering rage. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must now save his wife and son from a dangerous adversary — and ensure that he will never be underestimated again.
 
Nobody is directed by Ilya Naishuller from a screenplay written by Derek Kolstad. The movie stars Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Aleksei Serebryakov, and Christopher Lloyd.

4. Raya and the Last Dragon

• Week Five
• Weekend: $2.05 million
• Total: $32.1 million

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned, and it’s up to a lone warrior to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good.

Raya and the Last Dragon is directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada. The film’s voice cast includes Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, Thalia Tran, Lucille Soong, and Alan Tudyk.

5. Tom & Jerry

• Week Six
• Weekend: $1.4 million
• Total: $39.5 million

A legendary rivalry reemerges when Jerry moves into New York City’s finest hotel on the eve of the wedding of the century, forcing the desperate event planner to hire Tom to get rid of him. As mayhem ensues, the escalating cat-and-mouse battle soon threatens to destroy her career, the wedding, and possibly the hotel itself.

Tom & Jerry is directed by Tim Story. The live-action cast includes Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Colin Jost, Rob Delaney, and Ken Jeong.

6. The Girl Who Believes In Miracles

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $526,000

When young Sara hears a preacher say faith can move mountains, she starts praying. Suddenly, people in her town are mysteriously healed — but fame soon takes its toll.

The Girl Who Believes in Miracles is directed by Richard Correll. It stars Mira Sorvino, Peter Coyote, Austyn Johnson, and Kevin Sorbo.

7. The Courier

• Week Three
• Weekend: $452,000
• Total: $4.2 million

The true story of a British businessman unwittingly recruited into one of the greatest international conflicts in history. Forming an unlikely partnership with a Soviet officer hoping to prevent a nuclear confrontation, the two men work together to provide the crucial intelligence used to defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Courier is directed by Dominic Cooke. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley, and Angus Wright.

8 Chaos Walking

• Week Five
• Weekend: $380,000
• Total: $12.2 million

In Prentisstown, Todd has been brought up to believe that the Spackle released a germ that killed all the women and unleashed Noise on the remaining men. After discovering a patch of silence out in the swamp, his surrogate parents immediately tell him that he has to run, leaving him with only a map of New World, a message, and many unanswered questions. He soon discovers the source of the silence: a girl, named Viola.

Chaos Walking is directed by Doug Liman from a screenplay by Patrick Ness and Christopher Ford, based on Ness’s 2008 novel The Knife of Never Letting Go, part one of the Chaos Walking trilogy. The movie stars Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, Mads Mikkelsen, Demián Bichir, Cynthia Erivo, Nick Jonas, and David Oyelowo,

9. The Croods: A New Age

• Week 19
• Weekend: $210,000
• Total: $56.3 million

Searching for a safer habitat, the prehistoric Crood family discovers an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of its needs. Unfortunately, they must also learn to live with the Bettermans — a family that’s a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. As tensions between the new neighbors start to rise, a new threat soon propels both clans on an epic adventure that forces them to embrace their differences, draw strength from one another, and survive together.

The Croods: A New Age is directed by Joel Crawford from a screenplay by Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Paul Fisher, and Bob Logan. The film’s voice cast includes Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Cloris Leachman, Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann, and Kelly Marie Tran.

10. French Exit

• Week Eight
• Weekend: $193,000
• Total: $200,500

A widowed New York socialite and her aimless son move to Paris after she spends the last of her husband’s inheritance.

French Exit is directed by Azazel Jacobs, based on the novel by Patrick deWitt. The film stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges, Valerie Mahaffey, Imogen Poots, Susan Coyne, Danielle Macdonald, Isaach de Bankolé, and Tracy Letts.