Godzilla, left, and Kong in a scene from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/The Associated Press
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire easily swatted away a pair of challengers to hold on to the top spot at the box office for the second week in a row, according to studio estimates Sunday.
After its above-expectations US$80-million launch last weekend, the MonsterVerse mashup brought in US$31.7-million over its second weekend, a 60-per-cent drop from its debut. The Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures release, directed by Adam Wingard, has thus far outperformed any of the studio’s recent monster films except for 2014′s Godzilla.
But with US$361.1-million worldwide in two weeks, Godzilla x Kong could ultimately leapfrog the US$529-million global haul of 2014′s Godzilla. The latest instalment, in which Godzilla and Kong team up, cost about US$135-million to produce.
Godzilla x Kong extended its box-office reign as another primate-themed movie arrived in theatres. Dev Patel’s Monkey Man, an India-set revenge thriller released by Universal Pictures, opened in 3,029 North American theatres with an estimated US$10.1-million.
That marked a strong debut for Patel’s modestly budgeted directorial debut in which he stars in a bloody, politically charged action extravaganza. Monkey Man, which cost about US$10-million to make, was dropped by its original studio, Netflix, after which Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions swooped in.
The weekend’s other new wide release, The First Omen, from Disney’s 20th Century Studios, struggled to make a big impact with moviegoers. It came in fourth with an estimated US$8.4-million in ticket sales in 3,375 theatres, while collecting an additional US$9.1-million overseas. The R-rated horror film, which cost about US$30-million to make, is a prequel to the 1976 Richard Donner-directed original starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick.
This version, directed by Arkasha Stevenson and starring Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom and Bill Nighy, follows 2006′s The Omen, which opened to US$16-million and ultimately grossed US$119-million.
The tepid opening for The First Omen allowed Sony’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire to take third place with US$9-million in its third weekend of release. The sci-fi comedy sequel has collected US$88.8-million domestically and US$138-million worldwide.
Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part Two continues to perform strongly. It added US$7.2-million in its sixth week, dipping just 37 per cent, to bring its domestic total to US$264-million.
One of the week’s biggest performers was in China, where Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning The Boy and the Heron landed in theatres. The acclaimed Japanese anime is setting records for a non-Chinese animated film. After opening Wednesday, its five-day total surpassed US$70-million, a new high mark for Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
Estimated ticket sales are for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, US$31.7-million.
- Monkey Man, US$10.1-million.
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, US$9-million.
- The First Omen, $8.4-million.
- Kung Fu Panda 4, US$7.9-million.
- Dune: Part Two, US$7.2-million.
- Someone Like You, US$3-million.
- Wicked Little Letters, US$1.6-million.
- Arthur the King, US$1.5-million.
- Immaculate, US$1.4-million.