‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Three-Peats At No. 1, Roaring Past $80 Million At The Domestic Box Office And $300 Million Overseas
With little in the way of supersized cinematic foes to battle at the box office, Warner Bros.’ big-budget clash of the titans, Godzilla vs. Kong, kept stomping the competition this weekend, three-peating as the No. 1 film in North America, adding another $7.7 million to its already-impressive haul in its third frame.

The titanic PG-rated tentpole, which pits the legendary lizard against the skyscraper-sized simian sensation, lost some steam from the previous weekend, dipping -44.5%, but its $80.5 domestic total further cemented its place as the biggest hit of the pandemic era. The film earned a $2,567 per-screen average in 3,001 theaters, which is especially impressive considering that it is also available on the HBO Max streaming service for no additional fee.

Even more impressive, however, was how the film has been performing abroad. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, Godzilla vs. Kong has pulled in a monster-sized $309.7 million to date—the lion’s share of which has come from China, where it has racked up roughly $177 million—bringing its cumulative worldwide total to $390.2 million. That puts it on track to pass the $400 million milestone this week. (As a footnote, the last Hollywood blockbuster to also earn $400 million worldwide was Bad Boys For Life 15 months ago). Still, next weekend will be the dynamic duo’s first real test as Warner Bros.’ highly anticipated videogame adaptation, Mortal Kombat, rolls into multiplexes.

In the runner-up spot once again this weekend was Universal’s Nobody. The bullet-riddled action flick about a suburban dad-turned-vigilante (Bob Odenkirk) added $2.5 million its fourth session. The PG-13-rated film slipped a mere -4.8% from the previous weekend and managed an $1,047 per-screen average in 2,405 theaters (not bad since it also finally bowed on premium VOD this week), bringing its domestic box office total to $19 million. Outside of North America, the movie has tacked on just under $15.5 million, bringing its total worldwide gross to $34.5 million.

In third place was Screen Gems’ occult horror film, The Unholy. The PG-13-rated chiller starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan dropped off -14.2% in its third weekend with a hair under $2.1 million. Unspooling in 2,057 theaters, The Unholy scored a $1,001 per-screen average. It has tacked on a negligible $447,817 internationally, putting its combined box-office total at $10 million.

In fourth was Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon. In its seventh week, the PG-rated computer-animated adventure padded its take with another $1.9 million domestically, falling -13.7% from the previous frame. Despite also being available as a premium VOD rental on the Disney+ streaming platform for a $30 fee, the film had a $976 per-screen average in 1,945 theaters, bringing its domestic box office total to roughly $37.7 million. Overseas, Raya has accumulated $58 million to date, pushing its current worldwide total to approximately $95.7 million.

Rounding out the top five was an old friend, Warner Bros.’ Tom and Jerry, which had recently been bounced out of the Top 5, but made a strong comeback this weekend. The PG-rated ‘toon starring the iconic, squabbling cat-and-mouse team earned $1.1 million in its eighth week, losing -9.9% from the previous weekend and scoring a $537 per-screen average in 2,028 locations. Its two-month domestic total is now $42.6 million. Internationally, the film has added $58.8 million thus far, bringing its worldwide tally to $101.4 million.

The weekend’s other debut of note was Neon’s pandemic-themed horror film In the Earth. Written and directed by British bad boy Ben Wheatley (2013’sA Field in England, 2015’s High-Rise), the atmospheric R-rated fright flick about a scientist and a park ranger searching deep in the woods for a cure to a deadly virus landed in the No. 8 spot, scaring up $506,000 in 547 theaters—which translates into a $925 per-screen average. It has not yet opened internationally.

Finally, on a sad note—especially to California movie lovers—the Pacific Theaters chain announcement this week that it would be closing the doors of its 300 cinemas for good, including its beloved ArcLight locations. It’s just one of the many body blows to hit the movie business since the COVID-19 pandemic began a little more than a year ago. Take a moment to pour out a few sips of your next fountain soda in its memory.