Godzilla x Kong, New Empire MonsterVerse
The box office listened to the Titans when they spoke! The newest MonsterVerse film, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” has clomped to a victorious performance. It has not only dominated both domestic and international ticket sales, but it has also helped MonsterVerse as a whole surpass a noteworthy milestone, with its total earnings from the box office worldwide topping $2 billion.
This occurred just a few days after the $1 billion global box office total for fellow W.B. and Legendary films Dune and Dune: Part Two was reached. Though mainly in North America, where it was initially estimated to gross about $50 million of the total U.S. box office earnings, the movie outperformed forecasts almost everywhere in the world.
In China, where it made $44 million in its first three days of release, Godzilla x Kong was also a hit, reviving interest in Hollywood movies at a time when the Middle Kingdom mainly had closed them off. With Godzilla x Kong bringing in $194 million, the MonsterVerse franchise has collected a $2.135 billion global box office total, making it one of the only successful shared universes outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Approximately 10 and a half years ago, rival studios launched a variety of initiatives in an attempt to duplicate the MCU’s popularity. A few of them persisted, but the majority crumbled except the D.C. Extended Universe and the Dark Universe. Godzilla x Kong is already moving far more quickly than its predecessor and is being directed by Wingard again.
The movie’s budget was held in check by W.B. and Legendary; it was reportedly only $135 million to make, compared to the $155 million to $185 million range that the franchise’s earlier entries inhabited.
In the past week or so, two additional franchises have also achieved significant box office milestones: the Kung Fu Panda series has crossed the $2 billion barrier, while the Ghostbusters series has crossed the $1 billion mark globally.
Only a few months had passed since the unrelated Japanese picture Godzilla Minus One became a domestic word-of-mouth sensation, grossing over $50 million and taking home the Oscar for visual effects. At that point, Godzilla x Kong had hit theaters and had started smashing the U.S. box office.
A Benefit for the Blockbuster Genre
“The New Empire’s” success is encouraging for the blockbuster genre in general. It proves people are still excited about high-end, visually stunning big-screen productions. This is incredibly encouraging in light of the difficulties the film industry suffered due to the pandemic.
Throwback to the Origin of MonsterVerse
According to writer Max Borenstein, the MonsterVerse started as an American reworking of Godzilla rather than a franchise.
Borenstein attributes the creation of the MonsterVerse to Thomas Tull, the founder of Legendary Entertainment, who successfully negotiated the problematic rights to King Kong and obtained the Godzilla rights.
To place Kong in the same universe as Legendary’s Godzilla movie, Tull had given Borenstein a chance to pen the initial draft of Kong: Skull Island. Tull thought the movies would eventually culminate in Godzilla vs. Kong.
Legendary announced in October 2015 that Godzilla and Kong would be reunited in Godzilla vs. Kong, which is scheduled for release in 2020.
Legendary intended to develop a joint film franchise that “brings Godzilla and Legendary’s King Kong in a world of other giant super-species, including classic and new collectively,” and that was “centered around Monarch,” the covert government organization that made its debut in the 2014 film Godzilla.
It was revealed later in October that Kong: Skull Island would mention Monarch. With lots of shuffling behind the screens and on the scripts, the first Godzilla movie debuted on May 16, 2014, with enthusiastic reviews. Despite a $160 million budget, it was a box office hit, grossing $529 million worldwide. It was further followed by:
- Kong: Skull Island (2017)
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
- Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
The MonsterVerse’s future
“The New Empire”‘s success at the movie office has solidified MonsterVerse’s position as a powerful force in Hollywood. Director Adam Wingard has indicated his interest in extending the franchise. The movie’s conclusion opens the door for more adventures, involving the introduction of brand-new enormous monsters and an in-depth look at Godzilla and Kong’s changing relationship.
Monsterverse Franchise Future
Director and co-writer of Pacific Rim: Uprising Steven S. DeKnight stated in October 2017 that there had been talks regarding a potential crossover between the MonsterVerse and Pacific Rim franchise. Still, he stressed that this was only speculative.
The MonsterVerse crossover with Pacific Rim has also piqued the curiosity of Guillermo del Toro, the film’s director and co-writer.
“It’s one brick at a time, every element has to be as successful as it can be, so at the moment it’s all focused on this piece,” Garcia said in response to a question regarding the future of the MonsterVerse.
However, is it possible that there would be? Yes, if the movies do exceptionally well, that is the hope. What are your thoughts about this fictional crossover?
