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Godzilla vs. Kong Earns US$48.5 Million in 1st 5 Days in U.S.

Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment's Godzilla vs. Kong film earned US$48.5 million in its first five days in the United States box office. The film opened in 3,064 theaters in the United States on Wednesday and earned a US$9.6 million gross on opening day, and it then earned US$32.2 million in its first three days in the United States. It set new U.S. records since the start of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic for highest number of theaters on opening, highest opening day box office, highest single-day box office (US$12.5 million on Saturday), highest three-day box office, and highest five-day box office.

Over the past week, the film also earned the equivalent of US$115.1 million overseas, where it opened a week earlier. The film has now grossed US$236.9 million cumulatively in overseas theaters, and has earned a worldwide total of US$285.4 million. The film has so far earned US$44.2 million in China.

The film opened internationally on March 26 in territories where the HBO Max streaming service is not available. The film opened in the United States on March 31. It will open on May 14 in Japan.

Warner Bros. and Legendary reached an agreement in February on how to release the film. Warner Bros. had announced in early December that it intended to release Godzilla vs. Kong and 17 other films in its 2021 slate online through HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously. One week later, Deadline reported that Legendary Entertainment had sent legal letters to Warner Bros. regarding the release plan. (Entertainment news source The Hollywood Reporter reported on November 26 that Netflix had offered to purchase the streaming rights for Godzilla vs. Kong for US$225 million or more.)

The companies describe the film's story:

In a time when monsters walk the Earth, humanity's fight for its future sets Godzilla and Kong on a collision course that will see the two most powerful forces of nature on the planet collide in a spectacular battle for the ages. As Monarch embarks on a perilous mission into uncharted terrain and unearths clues to the Titans' origins, a human conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures, both good and bad, from the face of the earth forever.

Warner Bros. Pictures is planning to distribute the film worldwide outside Japan in 2D and 3D, as well as at IMAX theaters. Toho Co., Ltd. will distribute the film in Japan.

Actor Shun Oguri (live-action Gintama, Gokusen, Hana Yori Dango) makes his Hollywood acting debut as an "important role" in the film. The confirmed cast also includes Julian Dennison (Deapool 2), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), Demian Bichir (The Nun), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies), Rebecca Hall (The Prestige, Iron Man 3), Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist), Kyle Chandler (The Wolf of Wall Street, Manchester by the Sea), and Lance Reddick (Bosch, John Wick). The Hollywood Reporter previously reported that Van Marten (Avengers: Infinity War) and Ziyi Zhang (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) are part of the cast.

Adam Wingard (Death Note, The Guest, You're Next) directed the film.

Legendary Entertainment set up a writer's room led by Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean films) to write the new film's script in March 2017. Other writers involved in the script include Patrick McKay, J.D. Payne (Star Trek Beyond), Lindsey Beer, Cat Vasko, T.S. Nowlin (Maze Runner), Jack Paglen (Transcendence), and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5).

Legendary licensed the Godzilla film rights in 2010, and produced Gareth Edwards' 2014 Godzilla film. The film opened in the United States in May 2014, and earned over US$500 million worldwide. The sequel, Godzilla: King of Monsters, opened on May 22, 2019.

Sources: Deadline (Anthony D'Alessandro), Variety (Rebecca Rubin), Box Office Mojo (Chris Nashawaty)