After pouring over $200M currently into the domestic box office with Dune: Part Two, Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. have more cash to shower on exhibition with the Easter weekend March 29 theatrical release of Godzilla x. Kong: The New Empire. Currently projections are at $45M+ (don’t be shocked if it hits $50M) for the second Adam Wingard directed title in the Legendary Monsterverse.
At that level in opening weekend that will feasibly propel the Godzilla and Kong franchise past the $2 billion mark at the global box office.
At the low-end, the movie will rank as the fourth best domestic debut out of 5, the best being 2014’s Godzilla ($93.1M) and the lowest being 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong (also helmed by Wingard) which posted a 3-day of $31.6M portion in a 5-day run of $48.1M. Even though that movie went day-and-date on HBO Max due to Covid, the movie was pivotal in bringing audiences back to major market theaters after they reopened a couple of weeks prior in March 2021. Godzilla vs. Kong at $470.1M worldwide is the highest grossing day-and-date streaming theatrical title ever.
Similar to Godzilla vs. Kong, New Empire is taking advantage of the robust Easter moviegoing weekend, last year seeing the second best opening ever for the holiday with Illumination/Universal’s Super Mario Bros Movie ($166.4M). Warner Bros/DC’s 2016 title Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice continues to hold the record opening for Easter weekend with $181M.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is leaning largely guys, but is expected to attract women with…baby Kong. Isn’t he cute? Monsterverse movies typically skew 60% dudes, 55% under 25 with diversity demos being 45% Caucasian, 24% Latino and Hispanic, 18% Black and 8% Asian.