New Empire made $75 million, the second-best opening for the Monsterverse

Warner Bros

Friday night: This is how a great weekend at the box office should be. The studio enters the frame expecting an “X,” and ends up with a much higher “Y.” It was certainly a good Friday for Legendary and Warner Bros with more live action than expected Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire It's now posting $35 million on day one (plus previews) which sets the stage for 75 million dollars Opening weekend. Also, the sequel is arresting A- Cinema Scorewhich is the second best cinematic result for a Monsterverse movie after 2021 godzilla vs kong, Which was also directed by Adam Wingard.

Godzilla x KongThe weekend remains the second-best start in the US and Canada for the Monsterverse, but it is also the fifth-best start to an Easter weekend ever after Warner Bros.' Batman v Superman ($181 million) Universal/Illumination Super Mario Bros movie ($166.4 million), Universal Angry 7 ($161.2 million) and Uni Fate of the Furious ($107.3 million).

We'll have more for you in the morning.

Friday afternoon: No monkey business here. A $135 million Legendary and Warner Bros. production Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire He is blowing expectations with a 31 million dollars Friday (including last night's $10 million Monsterverse previews) and 3 days of 67 million dollars In 3861 places. This is the second best start ever in the US for a Legendary Monsterverse film, coming in at number two Godzilla$93.1 million in 2014 and before 2017 Kong: Skull Island ($61 million).

No, not last year super mario bros movie, Which had the second-best Easter weekend opening of all time with $166 million, but keeping the turnstiles spinning is a lot of money. Rotten Tomatoes audience rating reached 93% GXK.

Sony second friday of Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire is $5.1 million in 4,345 theaters, -68% from a week ago, for what will be a second frame for 14 million dollarsWith an operational total of $71.4 million.

The third is DreamWorks Animation and Universal's Kung Fu Panda 4 At 3,582 locations, which sees a fourth Friday of $ 4.3 million and the fourth weekend of $10.8 million-35%, bringing the current total $152.2 million.

Legendary and Warners also have fourth place by the fifth frame Sand Dunes: Part Two, Which sounds like $10.5 million-40%, bringing the current total $251.7 million. Great showing in 3,136 theaters, and that's without a lot of Imax screens. Friday at $3.6 million, -18%.

The fifth is neon Immaculate, very clean, very organized In 2,362 theaters with the second Friday of Million dollars-50%, and the second frame of $2.8 million-48% in total $10.7 million.

Friday morning: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire to make 10 million dollars In previews, according to Warner Bros. – the best ever for Legendary's Monsterverse, besting the first film in the series, 2014 godzilla, Which grossed $9.3 million. There was a lot of live action on Thursday night. As we told you last night, the audience score on this is high. PostTrak is 5 stars. It's a really fun creature feature that has a lot of heart; Heck, it's even better Jurassic World: Sovereignty. seriously.

Tracking firm Quorum this morning raised its highest-grossing forecast for the film to $66 million-$74 million Godzilla x Kong It's the studio's only new wide entry this weekend.

Good Friday is always a big day at the box office, so we'll see where this takes Warners. According to ComScore, 77% of K-12 schools are on break today, along with 39% of colleges out of service. The Monday after Easter also looks great with 57% of K-12 schools and 14% of colleges.

Social media monitor RelishMix says the social media universe across TikTok, Facebook, It's also not that far removed from the Legendary/Warner Bros. game Sand Dunes: Part Two, Which reached 575.7 million.

While RelishMix says word of mouth has been mixed ahead of previews, sentiment may be changing. Remember, fans always come out on Thursdays.

RelishMix reports: “Fans of the series are fascinated by the latest installment, with trailers sporting fan theories like 'Could it be that Kong Titanus Tiamat has been killed?' The Great Titan WarFans also appreciate this film's take on the absurdity of its concept, saying “It's a good time to be a Kaiju fan.” And I love the way this series leans into the craziness and also “This is so ridiculous!” I can't wait to watch it.

Elsewhere on Thursday, Sony Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire It ranked first among films in regular release with $2.7 million in 4,345 theaters, down 6% from Wednesday, when it took its first week to… $57.7 million. While the film opened higher than its predecessor in 2021 ghostbusters: Afterlife, $45 million to $44 million, in the first week of Frozen Empire here behind hereafter By 9%. He remembers, hereafter It played its first week during Thanksgiving.

DreamWorks Animation and Universal Kung Fu Panda 4 Thursday's third week posted $2.1 million in 3,805 theaters, up 5% from Wednesday's third week of 25 million dollarsWith a total of $141.4 million. The fourth part will outperform the local form of Kung Fu Panda 3 The day it ended on $143.5 million. KFP4 Up 14% from 2008 Kung Fu PandaThe local vice president runs in three weeks.

Legendary/Warner Sand Dunes: Part Two an act $1.9 million At 3437 on the fourth Thursday, -12% from Wednesday for the fourth week of $25.5 million and total operation $241.2 million.

The fourth belongs to horror film Neon's Sydney Sweeney Immaculate, very clean, very organized, In 2,354 theaters. Estimated Thursday 636 thousand dollars The first week of the pic ends on $7.8 million.

I have an understanding of another group of the chosen The loops I did around 494 thousand dollars Thursday at 1,037 locations.

Friday 12:03 AM: In the wake of Dune: Part 2, Kung Fu Panda 4 And ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Legendary / Warner Bros Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire It continues to provide momentum to the box office after there were no event titles in the first quarter due to strikes. Sources tell us an Adam Wingard-directed Monster Mash movie is in the works 8 million dollars From Thursday previews that started at 3pm in about 3,400 locations. This is arguably the second best preview ever for a Legendary's Monsterverse movie, after the first Godzilla In 2014, which recorded $9.3 million. The Gareth Edwards-directed film The Lizard grossed $38.4 million on its first Friday with a 3-day cume of $93.1 million.

Warner Bros. did not return a request for comment on tonight's estimates.

Open local forecasts for Godzilla x Kong Earlier this week it was at $50 million.

While critics gave Rotten Tomatoes a rating gsK The second-worst Monsterverse movie reviews at 56%, and RT audiences currently think it's the best of the legendary lizard/ape movies at 92%. We'll see if this simmers. Previous fan favorite in the series? 2021 godzilla vs kong, which was also directed by Wingard and opened over the Easter weekend to a five-day haul of $48.1 million — reviving cinema after the show was closed for a year in major box office markets. GVK It was available day and date in theaters and on Warner's streaming service then called HBO Max.

GXK It is expected to open in 3,850 theaters on Friday supported by Imax, PLFs, ScreenX, D-Box and 4DX. There will also be sharing of Imax auditoriums with Legendary and Warner auditoriums Sand Dunes: Part Two. The film is the highest-grossing film of 2024 so far, earning $239.3 million in the United States and nearly $600 million worldwide.