In less than a week of release — just four days, in fact — Warner Bros. and Legendary’sGodzilla x Kong: The New Empirehas passed a massive milestone at the global box office. Released to a surprisingly strong response on Friday — it debuted in select overseas markets some days earlier — the science-fiction action-adventure filmset itself up for success immediately. Not only has the movie already recovered its production budget, it has now alsosurpassed the $200 million mark at the global box office.
Godzilla x Konghas grossed $87 million domestically, which means that it will pass the $100 milestone before Friday. Additionally, the movie has generated $115 million from overseas markets, fora cumulative global gross of $202 million. Of this total, nearly $50 million has come from China, a market that has become highly regulated for foreign titles in recent years. But it seems like the appetite for giant monster mayhem on the big screen remains unaffected, especially afterGodzilla vs. Kong— the fourth installment ofthe MonsterVerse franchise— grossed nearly twice as much there as it did in North America.
‘Godzilla x Kong’ Will Overtake ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ In a Matter of Days
Godzilla vs. Kongwas the first blockbuster of the pandemic era, grossing $470 million globally despite being released day-and-date on the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max. But W.B. and Legendary were aware of China’s declining influence on Hollywood fare, which is primarily why they restricted the budget ofGodzilla x Kongto a reported $135 million. This is around $20 million less than the next cheapest installment of the series. Every dollar thatGodzilla x Kongmakes in China is just icing on the cake, because they’d factored in the decline while budgeting the movie. That being said, thefranchise has now grossed over$2 billion globally.
Godzilla x Kong’s top overseas markets, besides China, are Mexico ($13.6 million), India ($5.6 million), the U.K. ($5.2 million) and Australia ($3.6 million). In its first weekend, the movie managed to gross$20 million from IMAX screens alone, signaling yet another move in favor of the premium format, which, in recent months, has also seen films such asOppenheimerandDune: Part Twoperform exceedingly well. There’s a sense that IMAX and IMAX-adjacent formats might become the new 3D. Either way,Godzilla x Kongis reaping the benefits of shifting audience preferences.
Reviewsfor the film have been mixed, however. It sits at a “rotten” 54% critics score on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, although audience scores are far higher. It received an A- CinemaScore from opening day crowds, and currently has a 92% audience approval rating on RT. StarringDan Stevens,Rebecca Hall,Bryan Tyree HenryandKaylee Hottle,Godzilla x Kongcomes just a few months after the Japanese filmGodzilla Minus Oneemerged as a word-of-mouth hit and reignited interest in the kaiju icon. you may watch the movie in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
MonsterVerse Movies
Global Box Office
Godzilla (2014)
$529 million
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
$561 million
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
$383 million
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
$468 million
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
$202 million (and counting)
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Kong and the fearsome Godzilla face off against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own.
