Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the biggest MonsterVerse movie in a decade

The opening weekend box office figures for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire are in, and are much higher than expected.

The money boffins had predicted Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire would rake-in $50-55 million over its opening weekend in the US. But in reality it has already made a rather impressive $80 million, and $194 million worldwide.

That’s higher than any movie in the series since 2014’s Godzilla, which had a mighty $93 million domestic opening.

It trashes the $31 million opening of 2021’s Godzilla vs Kong and even the pre-pandemic $47 million opener of 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

So how come we’re suddenly all so keen for all things big and hairy/scaly? Are all of the movie-goers bored of Marvel looking for other blockbuster thrills? Perhaps.

It sees Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire land just behind the $82.5 opening of Dune: Part 2.

The film didn’t have rave reviews to boost it, either. It sits at a just-OK 55% at RottenTomatoes, 47% at Metacritic.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is no Godzilla Minus One, a 2023 film from the Japanese production arm of this particular franchise, and one that received almost universally glowing reviews.

However, if you come to this movie expecting big dumb fun, and are prepared to see much more of Kong than Godzilla, there’s still a good time to be had with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Audiences seem to be catching on too, and not just in the box office figures. The film has a 92% audience approval rating at RottenTomatoes at the time of writing, pipping (for now) predecessor Godzilla vs. Kong.

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