Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire may have divided opinions (it has a "Rotten" 54% on Rotten Tomatoes), but now sits atop the MonsterVerse as the franchise's most successful movie to date.
Despite being released on Digital platforms earlier this month, the movie took its global haul to a mighty $570 million this weekend. As a result, it's surpassed Kong: Skull Island as the franchise's most successful entry.
With a surprisingly frugal $135 million budget - the lowest in the MonsterVerse's history - there's no denying that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a box office hit. Grossing $196 million domestically and $371.3 million internationally, Warner Bros. and Legendary have netted a tidy profit at a time theaters are struggling due to a lack of true hits.
Here's how each MonsterVerse movie compares in terms of box office revenue:
Godzilla (2014) - $525 million
Kong: Skull Island (2017) - $569 million
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) - $387 million
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) - $470 million
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) - $570 million
"This is certainly an exciting result," Mary Parent, Chairman of Worldwide Production for Legendary, recently said of The New Empire's success. "We are in a good position to continue the journey, but let’s see how Godzilla x Kong unfolds. These are early days, but we are certainly feeling good."
Warner Bros. Domestic President of Production Jeff Goldstein was similarly pleased, adding, "It’s unusual for any movie that’s the fourth or fifth sequel to do this kind of business. In the past Godzilla drew a more general audience. This was a spectacular movie, a spectacular marketing campaign and a spectacular date."
Parent later noted, "Everyone made this film out of love. And we spent less on this movie than any of the other film."
Last week, the news broke that Grant Sputore will direct the Godzilla x Kong sequel in place of Adam Wingard from a script by David Callaham. Breaking his silence on the news, the filmmaker said, "Well this is (literal) HUGE news. It’s also a huge honour. I’ve been a giant monster fan for as long as I’ve been a fan of anything."
"[To] follow in the footsteps of the other incredible directors who’ve had their turn in the MonsterVerse is a dream come true. Can’t thank Legendary enough for this Titan sized opportunity."
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is still playing in theaters.