411 Box Office Report: Godzilla X Kong Soars To #1 With $80 Million

Kaiju reigned at the box office this weekend as Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire vastly overperformed to take #1. The latest film in Legendary’s MonsterVerse franchise scored an $80 million opening weekend, far above the expected $50 million analysts expected it to do going into the weekend. It makes a major win for Warner Bros. and Legendary, scoring the second-best start for the franchise behind only 2014’s Godzilla which opened to $93.2 million.

Godzilla has been killing it at the box office as of late, with last year’s Godzilla Minus One grossing $56.4 million total against a $15 million budget. While that film is a Tojo production and not connected to Legendary’s franchise, the positive reception (including the big guy’s first Oscar) undoubtedly had an effect on this film. The New Empire didn’t score the same scores with critics as Minus One, notching a mild 55% aggregated critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, fan sentiment was high with a 93% audience RT score and an A- CinemaScore. It was the word of mouth which pushed its estimates higher and higher throughout the weekend.

The film is also scoring overseas, where it totalled $114 million (above the $85 million expected total) for a $194 million worldwide start. That makes the film on track to be a blockbuster hit against a budget of $135 million. The MonsterVerse franchise doesn’t have the best legs historically, but as it stands Godzilla X Kong should be able to make it to $200 million in the US without too much difficulty, ensuring future films to come.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was pushed to #2 as it felt the bite of Godzilla and King Kong, down 65% in its second weekend with $15.7 million. That’s far above the 45$ drop of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, though this was always expected as Afterlife opened the week before Thanksgiving in 2021 and thus had a holiday-boosted strong hold. Frozen Empire has now tallied up $73.4 million domestically and $108.5 million worldwide, and should be able to finish off with around $115 million or so in the US. Against a $100 million budget, it should be a hit once international grosses finish out.

Dune: Part Two continued its strong weekend holds, down just 37% in its fifth weekend with $11.1 million. The second part of the sci-fi action epic is a blockbuster hit with $252.4 million domestically and $626.1 million worldwide against a $190 million budget. It is on course for up to $285 million domestically, a major hit for Warner Bros. Pictures.

Kung Fu Panda 4 was off 38$ in its fourth weekend with $10.2 million. The animated film is looking strong with $151.6 million and $347.3 million worldwide against an $80 million budget and should close out with around $180 million stateside.

Sydney Sweeney’s horror flick Immaculate held on quite well with a 39% second-weekend drop to $3.3 million. The nunsploitation film has entered the top five of NEON’s all-time box office charts with $11.1 million total and $12.3 million worldwide. It’s now looking at around $18 million or so by the end of its run in the US, profitable under NEON’s business model against a $7 million to $8 million budget.

Coming in at #6 this weekend was the Indian comedy Tillu Square, which grossed $2.5 million. The Telugu-language film is already successful with a total of $7.9 million worldwide and while it will drop quickly off the domestic charts, Prathyangira Cinemas will be pleased with its final numbers.

Arthur The King continued its slip down the charts with a 44% drop in its third weekend to $2.4 million. The drama now has $19.1 million domestically and $19.2 million worldwide, able to make it to $25 million although it won’t be profitable in its theatrical run against a $19.5 million budget.

IFC Film’s Late Night With the Devil capitalized on its strong word of mouth as it was down just 22% in its second weekend with $2.2 million. The David Dastmalchian-led horror film has brought its grosses to $6.3 million domestically and $6.6 million overseas, strong numbers against a budget of $1 million or so. It’s IFC’s fifth-highest grossing film and should be able to get close to $10 million in the US before it arrives on Shudder on April 12th.

Crew claimed the #9 position with $1.7 million. The Hindi-language heist comedy is, much like Tillu Square, in fins shape with $6.6 million worldwide. No word on its budget.

Imaginary closed out the top 10 with $1.4 million, down another 50% in its fourth weekend. The Blumhouse film has grossed $26.2 million domestically and $32.7 million worldwide against a $10 million budget. It should end its run at around $30 million domestically.

Next weekend should see Godzilla X Kong retain its spot atop the box office as the highest profile new releases are unlikely to come close barring a few major surprises coinciding. Dev Patel’s action film Monkey Man is looking at a high teens opening weekend, while The First Omen is looking at perhaps $10 million.

BOX OFFICE TOP TEN (Three-Day Domestic Numbers)
1. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – $80 million ($80 million total, $194 million WW)
2. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – $15.7 million ($73.4 million total, $108.5 million WW)
3. Dune: Part Two – $11.1 million ($252.4 million total, $626.1 million WW)
4. Kung Fu Panda 4 – $10.2 million ($151.6 million total, $347.3 million WW)
5. Immaculate – $3.3 million ($11.1 million total, $12.3 million WW)
6. Tillu Square – $2.5 million ($2.5 million total, $7.9 million WW)
7. Arthur The King – $2.4 million ($19.1 million total, $19.2 million WW)
8. Late Night With the Devil – $2.2 million ($6.3 million total, $6.6 million WW)
9. Crew – $1.7 million ($1.7 million total, $6.6 million WW)
10. Imaginary – $1.4 million ($26.2 million total, $32.7 million WW)