Godzilla vs. Kong Continues Box Office Reign in Second Week

For the second consecutive week, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” dominated the box office, outshining two new releases according to Sunday’s studio estimates.

Following its impressive $80 million debut the previous weekend, the clash between the iconic monsters garnered $31.7 million in its second outing, marking a 60% decrease from its opening weekend. Directed by Adam Wingard and produced by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, this MonsterVerse film has surpassed the performance of the studios’ prior monster movies, with the exception of 2014’s “Godzilla.”

In just two weeks, “Godzilla x Kong” has amassed $361.1 million globally and is on track to possibly surpass the $529 million worldwide earnings of “Godzilla” from 2014. The movie, which showcases an alliance between Godzilla and Kong, was made on a budget of around $135 million.

This reign at the box office continued despite the release of “Monkey Man,” a revenge thriller set in India starring Dev Patel, which was released by Universal Pictures in 3,029 theaters across North America, earning an estimated $10.1 million.

Patel’s directorial debut, made on a modest budget of approximately $10 million, had a strong opening. Initially dropped by Netflix, Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions stepped in to support the project.

Another newcomer, “The First Omen,” released by Disney’s 20th Century Studios, had a more muted reception, securing the fourth spot with an estimated $8.4 million from 3,375 theaters and $9.1 million from international markets. The horror prequel, which cost about $30 million to produce, serves as a precursor to the 1976 classic directed by Richard Donner.

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” by Sony claimed the third spot with $9 million in its third week, while “Dune: Part Two” by Warner Bros. continued to draw audiences, adding $7.2 million in its sixth week for a domestic total of $264 million.

A standout performance overseas was seen in China, where Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” set a new record for non-Chinese animated films, earning over $70 million in five days, a testament to the enduring appeal of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.

The top ten movies for the weekend, according to estimated ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, were led by “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” followed by “Monkey Man,” “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “The First Omen,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Someone Like You,” “Wicked Little Letters,” “Arthur the King,” and “Immaculate.” Final figures are expected to be confirmed on Monday.