Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Tops Dune: Part 2 Opening With $194 Million Debut
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire beat Dune: Part 2 to have this year's top-grossing opening weekend.
It looks like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has defied all expectations. If you did not know, the hit movie made its way to theaters over the weekend, and now the numbers are in. Not only did Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire gross more domestically than fans expected, but it just beat out Dune: Part 2 to have this year's highest-grossing opening yet.
The update comes from Variety as the trade confirmed the impressive figure. During its three-day opening, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire earned $194 million. This number beats out Dune: Part 2 as the sci-fi epic raked in $178 million globally when it opened.
As you can imagine, this news has left fans and industry insiders excited. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire earned more than $110 million globally across 64 markets. China was one of the biggest supporters of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire with a $44 million market gross. Mexico and India followed up as the movie's next top supporters.
"We wanted to deliver something that was highly entertaining to audiences," Mary Parent, a producer on Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, told Variety in regards to its box office opening. "Nobody has a crystal ball. You can only hope and dream. So, seeing this result globally feels really good and exciting."
This stellar opening for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is bigger than you might think. Originally, the movie was expected to gross $50 million max in the U.S. during its opening. That number was eclipsed by the domestic box office's return of $80 million. All of this cash has propelled the MonsterVerse past the $2 billion threshold. So if you ever doubted the power of kaiju, well – think again!
If you have not seen Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the movie is in theaters now. You can check out the MonsterVerse's previous films on Max. And of course, Apple TV+ is streaming the franchise's first live-action drama, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
What do you think about this impressive Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire record? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!