Godzilla X Kong's Box Office Results Mean One Thing For The MonsterVerse Franchise
"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" blew everyone away at the box office, and its receipts show that the MonsterVerse won't be wrapping up anytime soon. The fifth film in the franchise debuted with an $80 million haul stateside on Easter weekend. Despite mediocre reviews from critics, the kaiju film continues to find an audience, standing tall with a worldwide gross north of $365 million as of this writing. By the end of its run, Adam Wingard's monster epic could walk away with over $500 million, cementing itself as one of the highest-grossing films in the MonsterVerse.
With stellar fan reception (it has an A- CinemaScore), it's not surprising to hear that Legendary Pictures is eager to continue their moneymaker. "This is certainly an exciting result," Legendary exec Mary Parent told The Hollywood Reporter). "We are in a good position to continue the journey, but let's see how 'Godzilla x Kong' unfolds."
As it stands, "Godzilla x Kong" is in a very comfortable position, boasting minimal competition at the box office right now. During its second weekend, the film suffered a 60% drop but still held the No. 1 spot on the charts. It is performing well internationally and is on track to gross over $100 million in China by the end of the week. With a production budget of $135 million, "Godzilla x Kong" is the least expensive MonsterVerse flick, meaning it will likely emerge as the most profitable entry in the series.
What's next for Godzilla and Kong?
While Mary Parent and the other executives at Legendary haven't greenlit a sequel, it's bold to assume that they won't. "Godzilla x Kong" is a large-scale blockbuster for the production house with domestic and international appeal. The film has particularly struck a chord with fans, with "The New Empire" notably fixing a big MonsterVerse complaint (confirming that creatives are listening to what the audience has to say). Though he hasn't received the go-ahead, director Adam Wingard knows what's next.
"I definitely think there's more story to this, and I think that I have more story to tell," the filmmaker told DiscussingFilm, before adding that a sequel solely depends on how the MonsterVerse flick fares at the box office. "I would be very excited to be able to come back on for another one if things worked out!"
Based on box office numbers and the enthusiasm exhibited by Legendary execs, it's fair to conclude that Wingard will get another stab at Godzilla and Kong's mythos. However, the "Godzilla x Kong" second-weekend drop shouldn't be ignored. With a $30 million sophomore weekend and competition from A24's upcoming mid-budget "Civil War," the latest MonsterVerse flick has an uphill battle to earn $200 domestically — a number it probably won't reach. That said, later this month, Legendary can look forward to the film's debut in Godzilla's home country of Japan.
Did you love the MonsterVerse flick? Be sure to read the ending of "Godzilla x Kong" explained.