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It’s been a long year of box office disappointments, as the movie industry greatly moved onto streaming and VOD. Could Godzilla vs. Kong be the movie to turn a giant corner? Adam Wingard’s epic MonsterVerse duel just opened in China ahead of its domestic release next week, and the movie is already outperforming 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, proving that the box office is back!
Godzilla vs. Kong had an impressive Friday debut in the Middle Kingdom with a reported $21.5 million start. Those numbers beat out King of the Monsters, which earned $20.9 million on its first day, before finishing off the weekend with $70.9 million, per The Hollywood Reporter. The 2019 film made a total of $135.4 million by the time it left theaters, while Chinese ticketing app Maoyan is currently projecting Godzilla vs. Kong to make $166 million by the end of its run.
While it's bit too early to know if Godzilla vs. Kong will in fact pull these huge numbers at China’s box office, it certainly looks like it's on track to become the most-successful Hollywood movie since COVID-19 in the offshore market. Thus far, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet holds that title, as the time-centric action flick had a $29.8 million first weekend and a final $66.6 China box office gross. Godzilla vs. Kong looks like it will beat that, easy.
Godzilla vs. Kong is also receiving highly positive ratings on Chinese ticketing apps Maoyan and Taopiaopiao, with a reported 9 out of 10 audience score and 7.1 review score. The MonsterVerse movie is also garnering overall positive reviews from this end, with first reactions that include CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes calling it a “hell of a ride!” The movie is currently playing at a number of offshore markets and will debut domestically this Wednesday.
Godzilla vs. Kong will hit theaters and HBO Max simultaneously on March 31. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service. The release follows Warner Bros.’ 2021 plan to put out everyone of its movies to theaters with a day-and-date streaming release as well. Check out the trailer:
This weekend in China, the MonsterVerse movie will go up against the re-release of James Cameron’s Avatar and Chinese comedy film Hi, Mom. According to the report, Godzilla vs. Kong dominated Friday ticket sales with an 87.6% share, whilst Avatar and Hi, Mom both had 2.8%. The projections for Godzilla vs. Kong is great news for the return of the theatrical market, especially as Hollywood hopes to release a wealth of exciting big movies globally this summer. Take a look at CinemaBlend’s 2021 movie schedule to plan your next trip to theaters.
