As the publication jokes VarietyA 90-year-old ape and a 69-year-old reptile are taking over the American charts this weekend. The movie «Godzilla and Kong: The New Empire» costing $135 million, earned $37 million on its first day of release — more than forecast.
The film received mediocre reviews — worse than the very well-received «Godzilla vs. Kong» in 2021 and much worse than the rave reviews that the Japanese film «Godzilla Minus One» received three months ago. However, the audience decided in its own way. The movie received a rating of «A-» from Cinema Score.
Adam Wingard, who directed «Godzilla vs. Kong», also directed «New Empire». The film stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Kaley Hottle, as well as franchise newcomers Dan Stevens and Fala Chen. Two monsters emerge from the Hollow Earth and reluctantly team up to confront the equally gigantic enemies of humanity.
The new movie is likely to hit the box office «Ghostbusters: Frozen». The movie grossed $45 at launch and is now very much off its predecessor, «Ghostbusters: Afterlife» in 2021. The first film grossed $129 million in the US domestic market.
Universal’s «Kung Fu Panda 4» holds the third place at the box office, fighting with the second part of «Dune». The animated film is projected to gross close to $150 million this weekend, with «Dune» on track to gross $250 million this weekend.