Legendary Entertainment’s latest film, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” has achieved a remarkable feat in China, boasting the best opening weekend performance of any Hollywood movie this year. According to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway, the film raked in an impressive $44.6 million (RMB317 million) in mainland Chinese theaters from Friday to Sunday, capturing nearly 70% of the weekend box office share.
Nationwide, cinemas experienced a surge in business, totaling $64.1 million, a substantial increase from the previous weekend’s earnings of $39.5 million. This marks the third-largest box office weekend of the year not driven by the Lunar New Year holiday releases.
While “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” falls slightly short of the opening numbers set by its predecessor, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” which garnered $66 million on its debut weekend in May 2019, it still managed to outshine other Hollywood releases in China amidst challenges faced by the industry since 2020.
The film’s strong performance places it as the fourth-highest opening for a Hollywood title in the post-pandemic era, trailing behind blockbusters like “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Fast X,” which earned $52 million in December 2022 and $51 million in June 2023, respectively.
Imax also reported a significant contribution from “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” with earnings of $7.5 million, constituting nearly 17% of its Chinese weekend revenue.
In other box office news, “Kung Fu Panda 4” slipped to second place in its second weekend, witnessing a 60% decline in earnings to $5.8 million. Meanwhile, “Viva La Vida,” a Chinese film that made a comeback after being pulled from release during the Lunar New Year season, earned $4.3 million over the weekend, reaching a cumulative total of $22.3 million.
“The Pig, The Snake, and the Pigeon,” the previous chart-topper, added $2.9 million to its total, now standing at $90.6 million. Additionally, the French art-house film “Anatomy of a Fall” debuted in fifth place with a respectable $1.5 million opening.
Overall, the year-to-date box office in China stands at $2.32 billion, according to Artisan Gateway, marking a significant increase compared to last year’s $1.47 billion reported by ComScore.
