“Godzilla vs. Kong” Released, Breaking Box Office and Streaming Records

The movie “Godzilla vs. Kong” was released to American audiences in movie theaters and through HBO Max on March 31st, 2021, breaking records and gaining critical acclaim in the process. The movie is the third sequel in Legendary Entertainment’s “MonsterVerse,” centered around the mighty Godzilla and King Kong’s destructive exploits. Released before were “Godzilla,” “Kong: Skull Island,” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” all of which did decent in the box office but had mixed reviews amongst critics.

“Godzilla vs. Kong,” which stars Alexander Skarsgård of the live-action remake of “The Legend of Tarzan,” Millie Bobby Brown of “Stranger Things,” Rebecca Hall of “Frost/Nixon,” and Brian Tyree Henry of “Atlanta,” the plot of the film revolves around the impending fight between the two iconic monsters, as a team of scientists attempts to gain the capabilities of a massive weapon to destroy Godzilla.

Already, the movie has made more than $48 million domestically and $237 million internationally, so considering that the budget for the flick is estimated to be nearly $200 million, it is safe to say that the movie will be considered a commercial success if moviegoers continue flocking to the theaters to see it like they are now. So far, this movie has had the most successful opening of any COVID-19 era movie and is the third highest-grossing film of 2021. Meanwhile, the movie had “…a larger viewing audience than any other film or show on HBO Max since launch,” according to Warner Bros. Pictures. The critics seemingly enjoyed the movie, too, as the movie is Certified Fresh (75%) on movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Godzilla and King Kong are far from new creations for the silver screen. The “King Kong” franchise has been going strong for 90 years, starting with the famous 1933 “King Kong” movie and going strong ever since. The same can be said for the “Godzilla” franchise, which has reached its thirty-sixth film since its inception in 1954 with “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Both franchises have been synonymous with each other for such a long time, mainly because the “Godzilla vs. Kong” movie is not even the first time the two monsters have fought; they went at it in the 1962 Ishirō Honda-directed film “King Kong vs. Godzilla” as well.

It is yet to be seen whether or not the initial success of “Godzilla vs. Kong” will result in extra “MonsterVerse” sequels, but it is safe to say that the movie will at least have many talking for a long time.