Godzilla vs. Kong arrived in theaters on Wednesday, the same time it became available to stream on HBO Max. Despite there being an option to watch the movie from the comfort - and safety - of home, the crossover event has vastly exceeded expectations with a $27.9 million haul at the domestic box office as of yesterday.
That comes after an $11.6 million Friday at 3,064 locations, and the 5-day projection for the movie currently sits at $42 million according to Deadline. That's the best 3 and 5-day box office haul since mid-March when closures began thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The crazy thing about this is that it's not too far behind Godzilla: King of the Monster's opening weekend ($47.8 million) in 2019. At the time, it was believed MonsterVerse fatigue was setting in, something which seemingly didn't bode well for Godzilla vs. Kong. However, with fans desperate to see these two iconic Titans share the screen, and moviegoers anxious for a blockbuster, it's exceeded all expectations.
Talking to Collider, writer Max Borenstein addressed the possibility of Godzilla vs. Kong spawning sequels and spinoffs.
"Hopefully there will be, I have no idea," he admitted. "If not the peak then the plateau that everyone has been aiming for. This is a point that has been a part of the ambition since the beginning, so I look forward to whatever the next iteration of this franchise is. This has certainly been getting these two characters, like The Avengers, you build to that place. That's not to say there aren't future movies that bring everyone together."
It remains to be seen whether an even bigger crossover is now planned, or if Warner Bros. and Legendary will reboot Godzilla and King Kong for future stories. Numbers like these are bound to have an impact on how studios release their movies over the next few years, regardless.
Find out who won the title battle (if you haven't watched the movie yet) by clicking here.