While there may have been various versions of the classic battles between King Kong and Godzilla, it seems to be a story that can be told an endless number of times and still prove to be extremely popular at the box office.
The latest iteration of the fabled story has been released in cinemas, with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire bringing incredible results along the way; sizable devastation that the two beasts would be proud to claim were their own in terms of the finances brought in.
In its first weekend, it became the world’s biggest opening weekend for a film in 2024. Admittedly, we may have only just entered April, but the results speak for themselves. Across March 29-31, when it was competing with an animated bear in the form of Kung Fu Panda 4, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire managed to gross approximately $194 million worldwide. In contrast, the former had managed to generate $53.8 million, whereas Dune: Part Two managed to record $29.5 million in its fifth weekend.
To put the size of the mammoth figure in place with context, the previous release featuring the two beasts (Godzilla vs Kong, 2021) had only managed to generate $31.6 million during its debut weekend. Of course, it’s possible to argue that there were factors out of their control that potentially limited how much money was made.
What is Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire all about?
Being the sequel to the 2021 release and the fifth film in the MonsterVerse (Adam Wingard’s second to direct), there has been a lot of anticipation for this installment of the series. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire provides a different take on the story between the two beasts, as they form an unusual alliance that other films haven’t explored. They pair up to form a formidable team with the task of preventing evil from being executed on the world to destroy it by a powerful titan.
Given that there is an unusual dynamic being explored in this series, it’s perhaps not a surprise that so many have become intrigued by what has been created. It’s also reassuring to have seen so many positive reviews from critics and viewers, thus making it a must-see at the box office this spring.
Godzilla vs Kong: One of the most famous monster battles
As mentioned, the battles between Godzilla and Kong have become famed, as they are known the world over. There have been many ways in which this story has been told, with various film and TV reboots having been experienced in the past.
Notwithstanding, there have been various games to have been created that have consisted of the storylines and themes that these two together have been entangled in. For instance, video games and mobile titles have been playable, as well as casino slots. There are a few King Kong titles that can be found as part of the collection with the 32Red slots UK offering, where British players can enjoy games themed on the big gorilla.
Could we see more of Godzilla and Kong in the future?
If Wingard has his way and the success that has already been experienced regarding the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire release, it’s very likely that we will see another installment in the future.
The director has already admitted that he has a number of “really cool ideas” for a third release, and it seems he has already been given the go-ahead to execute them if taking the success that has been achieved at the box office is anything to go by.
He had remained coy on whether there would be a third release, suggesting that time would tell and admitting that it would largely depend on how this one was received.
How does Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire compare to other opening weekend figures?
According to figures that can be found, the revenue generated across its opening weekend ranks Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire inside the top #10 releases in history.While Avengers: Endgame is the #1 most successful in this metric (having generated $357,115,007), it still managed to outdo the likes of The Lion King ($191,770,759) and Avengers: Age of Ultron ($191,271,109).