“Godzilla vs. Kong” debuted in the U.S. on Wednesday and nabbed a sizable $9.6 million, marking the best opening day total of the coronavirus era.
It has the added benefit of playing in more theaters than any other movie that has been released during the pandemic. “Godzilla vs. Kong” screened in 2,409 venues on Wednesday and will expand to 3,064 locations by Friday.
More than 94% of the U.S. marketplace has reopened, according to Warner Bros. Yet only 30% of Canadian theaters have been operating. Among the U.S. cinemas back in business, many are operating at reduced capacity, including in New York City and Los Angeles. Earlier this week, Los Angeles county was approved to the Orange Tier, which allows indoor venues to increase capacity from 25% to 50%. However, the change isn’t going into effect until Monday, April 5.
Those restraints aren’t expect to curb ticket sales, at least by pandemic standards. “Godzilla vs. Kong” should easily land the biggest domestic debut of the year — and since COVID-19 hit last March. As it stands, Warner Bros.’ “Tom and Jerry” had the biggest opening weekend of 2021 with $14 million, while “Wonder Woman 1984” holds the biggest opening weekend of the pandemic with $16.7 million. However, those figures represent ticket sales between Friday and Sunday.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” was initially expected to gross north of $20 million over the extended weekend, but it currently looks to smash that benchmark.
The film secured an “A” CinemaScore from audiences, which could bode well for its big-screen run.
Directed by Adam Wingard, “Godzilla vs. Kong” opened last weekend at the international box office and has collected $121 million to date. It had an especially powerful start in China, kicking off with $70 million. Legendary Entertainment is distributing “Godzilla vs. Kong” in China, while Warner Bros. is rolling out the film in all other territories.
The movie debuted simultaneously on HBO Max, though it’s unclear how many subscribers have watched it. The streaming service, owned by WarnerMedia, isn’t yet available internationally.
“Godzilla vs. Kong,” the fourth entry in the MonsterVerse franchise, sees a radioactive sea monster face off against a giant ape. It stars Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry.
More to come…