GODZILLA VS. KONG Earns Pandemic Record-Setting $48.5 Million in Debut
By Movieguide® Staff
After a record-setting overseas premiere, GODZILLA VS. KONG continued to fight its way to the top and set the pandemic-era box office record in its domestic debut.
The monster success of Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment’s tentpole movie could signify audiences are ready to return to theaters.
GODZILLA VS. KONG earned $32 million over the weekend and $48.5 million in its first five days of release. This easily surpassed the $16.7 million of WONDER WOMEN 1984, the previous highest-grossing movie during the pandemic.
GODZILLA VS. KONG also benefited from the widest theater count with 3,000 open North American theaters.
“While it’s half of what it would be under normal circumstances, the weekend is a clear and positive indication that moviegoing has inherent strengths that aren’t going away,” David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, said.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Warner Bros/Legendary’s GODZILLA VS. KONG is now Hollywood’s highest-grossing international movie debut during the pandemic and indicates the start of a slow return to standard box office numbers.
The new GODZILLA movie earned $123.1M from 38 overseas markets…
“The global reception to the theatrical release of this film is a positive sign for moviegoing as people continue to look towards entertainment in a post-pandemic world,” Mary Parent, Legendary’s vice chairman of global production, said.
“Timing is everything, and ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ arrived at the perfect intersection of a time of growing consumer confidence and pent-up desire to go to the movies, meeting head-on with a movie that literally screams ‘event film,’” Paul Dergarabedian, a senior analyst with Comscore, added.
GODZILLA VS. KONG does have some moral, redemptive content, furthering Movieguide’s hypothesis that movies with uplifting elements succeed at the box office.
Be sure to check out Movieguide®’s full review of GODZILLA VS. KONG.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
