“Godzilla versus. Kong ‘roars at best opening day during pandemic with $ 9.6 million – Deadline

On Wednesday, moviegoers demonstrated that they really yearn to go back to the movies.

What do you mean?

Warner Bros / Legendary Godzilla vs. Kong released what is a record breaking opening day during the pandemic with $ 9.6 million at the national box office from 2,409 theaters or $ 3,980 per location. Since mid-March 2020, when theaters closed and slowly returned at the end of August, no other film has done this type of activity. Even though people can watch Godzilla vs. Kong At home on WarnerMedia’s HBO Max streaming service for the next 30 days, there are those who want to step out and experience this monster clash in a vibrant boom-shaka-laka auditorium on the big screen.

The box office screening is gearing up this five-day weekend for Godzilla vs. Kong was $ 20-30 million; I hope the film can easily beat that. We say ‘hope’ because we don’t know how busy Wednesday’s opening day is ahead. Nonetheless, it is an encouraging sign for the film industry.

Keep in mind, MGM’s No time to die Originally scheduled to open over the Easter weekend, and when this was moved to the fall due to optimistic availability of more offshore markets, Warner Bros. relocated Godzilla vs. Kong to what is traditionally a lucrative holiday BO weekend.

Prior to Godzilla vs. Kong, it was Warner Bros’ Wonder Woman 1984 which held the best opening day one title during the pandemic, with $ 7.5 million on December 25.

Word of mouth for Godzilla vs. Kong is the best it’s ever been for a legendary monster movie with a Cinemascore A, stomping on 2014 B + ratings Godzilla, 2017 Kong: Skull Island and 2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Comscore / Screen Engine’s PostTrak audience outputs were also strong with 86% and 4 1/2 stars and a final recommendation of 74%.

Godzilla vs. Kong is the first title to play in 3,000 theaters, which hits Friday as Regal reopens 22 of its major locations in the United States, including their 42nd Streets, and LA Live among many others. In sum, 655 venues were added on Friday for a total number of 3,064 theaters.

PLFs led 17% of GvKWednesday’s business while Imax was up 8%. Keep in mind that most of Canada is closed with only 25% of the country’s exposure open, and Mash of Monsters led by Adam Wingard is largely available on PVOD there.

Wednesday demos for GvK show 63% men (A), 37% women (A), under 18 at 24% (they gave it an A +), under 24 (48%, A), over 25 (52%, A-), under 35 (72%, A) and over 35 (28%, A-). The fourth has the best Rotten Tomatoes score among legendary monster movies with 80% Certified Fresh, besting Godzilla76% fresh, Kong: Skull Island75% fresh and 2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters“Horrible 42% rotten.

African-American audiences gave GvK a positive rating of 92% and a final recommendation of 85% on PostTrak. General displays of diversity on the first day of the photo were 33% Caucasian, 27% Hispanic, 23% African American, 10% Asian, and 7% Native American / Other.

Screen Gems’ horror film also opens on Friday The ungodly at 1,850 theaters, which is supposed to make very low numbers at a million dollars. Sony’s last notable “ event movie ”, if you will, during the pandemic was Monster hunter which opened at $ 2.2 million in 1,736 theaters from December 18 to 20. The ungodly doesn’t have any Rotten Tomatoes rating yet. The PG-13 movie is based on the book Tomb by James Herbert and is produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert of Ghost House Picture and by Evan Spiliotopoulos, who is also writer and director of the photo. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Katie Aselton, William Sadler, Diogo Morgado, Cricket Brown, Marina Mazepa and Cary Elwes are the stars. In Impious, a deaf girl is visited by the Virgin Mary and can suddenly hear, speak and heal the sick. As people flock to witness his miracles, terrifying events unfold. Are they the work of the Virgin Mary or something much more sinister?