It turns outGodzilla Vs Konghas been a big hit all the way around for Warner Bros. The massive monster-filled blockbuster was recently released both in theaters and on HBO Max, much likeWonder Woman 1984,The Little ThingsandTom & Jerrybefore it. Now, we have word that the latest entry in the MonsterVerse was not only a big hit at the box office but a winner in the streaming world as well. So much so that it is now the biggest streaming debut HBO Max has seen to date.
According to Samba, a third-party company not affiliated with WarnerMedia orHBO Maxofficially, states that 3.6 million households watched at least five minutes worth ofGodzilla vs. Kongin its first five days. That beats bothWonder Woman 1984, which notched 2.2 million households, and Zack Snyder’sJustice League, which drew 1.8 million. Samba is pulling this data specifically from smart TVs. So the audience could certainly be larger when factoring in mobile devices. WarnerMedia Direct-to-Consumer Executive Vice President and General Manager Andy Forssell previously said that the movie “had a larger viewing audience than any other film or show on HBO Max since launch.”
Godzilla vs. Konghas also had astrong showing at the box officedespite being available on a major streaming service. The movie had a massive $48.1 million debut over its first five days heading into Easter weekend. It was easily the best box office debut for any movie since the pandemic began. Worldwide, the follow-up to 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters has already passed the $300 million mark. It may, as a result, pave the way for other blockbusters to finally arrive after nearly a year mostly devoid of them entirely. Save forTenetand a couple of others.
The success, in turn, raises questions. WarnerMedia turned a lot of heads and caused some issues behind the scenes in Hollywood when it was revealed the entire 2021 Warner Bros. movie slate would arrive in theaters and on HBO Max in the U.S. But, even asmovie theatersbegin to reopen and moviegoers start to get back to old habits, the strategy seems to be working. The studio has promised that this was only temporary and that exclusive theatrical windows will return next year for movies likeThe Batman. But Pandora’s Box is tough to close. Streaming is going to be a larger part of distribution going forward.
Adam Wingard directedGodzilla vs. Kongas the fourth entry in theMonsterVerse. The series kicked off with 2014’s Godzilla and also includes 2017’s Kong: Skull Island. There remains uncertainty as to whether or not the franchise will continue but fans recently began campaigning online to #ContinueTheMonsterVerse. The box office and streaming numbers support the idea that a continuation could be fruitful. Meanwhile, Wingard has moved on to aThunderCatsmovie, while the filmmaker is also developingFace/Off 2. This news comes to us viaDeadline.
