Well, well, well! It looks like Godzilla is winning and smashing the box office again with the help from Kong this Easter! From December to February, we saw Toho Co.'s latest installment, Godzilla Minus One, become the third highest grossing foreign film to release in America making $112 million worldwide. With an estimated budget of $10 million, the movie crushed all expectations. This Easter, we witnessed expectations get stomped once again with the fifth Monsterverse movie, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, opening at $80 million domestically and $194 million globally on its first weekend. This is no April Fools joke neither.
To put into perspective, the movie was originally forecasted to open around $40 million on opening weekend. It was later that box office forecasts were raised to $50 million, and then $70 million as the movie's release drew closer.
Godzilla (2014) opened with $93 million in the domestic box office. In 2017, Kong: Skull Island opened with $61 million. When Godzilla: King of the Monsters released in 2019 the movie opened with $47 million. Finally in 2021, Godzilla vs Kong opened with $31 million leading the recovery of the box office in the post-COVID era despite the same day HBO Max release that Easter weekend. This means Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has the second highest opening weekend in the entire Monsterverse franchise in terms of the domestic box office.
When you add up all of the global box office revenues between all of the films including Godzilla x Kong, the franchise as whole has grossed over $2 billion in revenue. A monstrous feat for the Monsterverse.
Even though there are no talks of a sequel yet, director Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire) has stated he has ideas for another film. In an interview with Discussing Film, he comments on the idea of making a third "Godzilla/Kong" film.
"The whole idea if you have done two movies, like, maybe you should just go ahead and do a third because, as you said, there's a trilogy in there. I definitely think there's more story to this, and I think that I have more story to tell. But it just depends on how [Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire] does and how things kind of shape out. I know that sounds like a bullshit diplomatic answer. But the truth is, if I'm being completely honest with you, I do have more story to tell with these monsters and I know where I'd go with it. I would be very excited to come back on for another one if things worked out!"
In an interview with The Playlist, Adam Wingard has even motioned if he were to do another film he would go in a different direction. The question is how to amp up the craziness as the movies of the Showa era without completely jumping the shark.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was made on an estimated budget of $135 million. Since the movie has already made $194 million worldwide, the chances of the movie breaking even ($270 million - $377 million) is more than guaranteed if it keeps up the pace. And if the movie breaks even, then a sixth Monsterverse film is more than guaranteed.
According to rumor by KdM, the sixth Monsterverse movie is going to be pitched to Legendary Entertainment sometime in April. Back in April 2021, we first heard about the development of Godzilla x Kong in the guise of "Son of Kong" after the release of Godzilla vs Kong. Then in 2022, we got confirmation of Wingard's return to direct Godzilla x Kong. So if the rumor is true, we can assume to expect to hear about the sixth Monsterverse film fairly soon or it may be until 2025 we start hearing of another film.
What are your thoughts on Godzilla x Kong's opening box office numbers? Do you think it will make enough money to solidify a sequel? When do you think we will hear news of a sequel? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on the movie's box office numbers. Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Minds, MeWe, Gab, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.