New York— According to studio estimates Sunday, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” handily defeated two competitors to top the box office for the second week in a row.
The MonsterVerse mashup earned $31.7 million in its second weekend, down 60% from its $80 million premiere. Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures' Adam Wingard-directed monster flick has exceeded all except 2014's “Godzilla.”
However, at $361.1 million globally in two weeks, “Godzilla x Kong” might surpass 2014's $529 million. Godzilla and Kong's latest film cost $135 million. Another primate-themed film joined “Godzilla x Kong” at the box office. Universal Pictures' revenge thriller “Monkey Man,” starring Dev Patel, premiered in 3,029 North American cinemas with $10.1 million.
Patel's low-budget directorial debut, in which he stars in a brutal, politically motivated action film, was strong. Jordan Peele and Monkeypaw Productions took over when Netflix dropped “Monkey Man,” which cost $10 million.
Another new wide feature, Disney's 20th Century Studios' “The First Omen,” struggled with audiences this weekend. It placed fourth with $8.4 million in ticket sales in 3,375 theaters and $9.1 million internationally. The $30 million R-rated horror film is a prequel to the 1976 Richard Donner picture starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick.
This Arkasha Stevenson-directed film, starring Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, and Bill Nighy, follows 2006's $16 million opening and $119 million total.
The weak debut for “The First Omen” helped Sony's “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” take third place with $9 million in its third weekend. Sci-fi comedy sequel grossed $88.8 million domestically and $138 million internationally.
Warner Bros.' “Dune: Part Two” performs well. It added $7.2 million in its sixth week, down 37%, to $264 million domestically.
Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning “The Boy and the Heron” opened in China and was a highlight of the week. The popular Japanese anime is breaking records for non-Chinese animated films. Its five-day total topped $70 million after launching Wednesday, a new Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli record. Comscore estimates U.S. and Canadian theater ticket sales for Friday through Sunday. Final domestic figures are due Monday.
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