“Godzilla vs. King” is stomping to a massive opening weekend at the box office (by pandemic standards). The Warner Bros. film added another $6.7 million on Thursday, bringing its two-day domestic total to $16.3 million.
Through Sunday, the movie could make between $30 million to $40 million in ticket sales. That would easily rank as the biggest opening weekend of the coronavirus era.
To date, “Wonder Woman 1984” has notched the best three-day start of the pandemic with $16.7 million. The superhero sequel opened on Christmas Day, in theaters and on HBO Max, and ended its theatrical run with $45.8 million in the U.S. and $165 million globally. In 2021, “Tom and Jerry” has the title for the biggest opening weekend with $14 million. It has since generated $37 million at the domestic box office and $48 million internationally.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” opened on Wednesday and grossed $9.6 million, the best single day total of the pandemic. It’s currently playing in 2,409 theaters 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 resumed operations. In the U.S., cinemas that reopened have been running at reduced capacity, including in New York City and Los Angeles, to comply with social distancing measures.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” had a monster head-start at the international box office, where the film has generated $121 million. It has been especially popular in China, debuting last weekend to $70 million. Legendary Entertainment is distributing “Godzilla vs. Kong” in China, while Warner Bros. is rolling out the film in all other territories.
Adam Wingard directed “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the fourth entry in the MonsterVerse franchise following 2014’s “Godzilla,” 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island” and 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” The upcoming entry, which has generated strong reviews, sees a radioactive sea monster face off against a giant ape. It stars Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry.