'Godzilla vs. Kong' sets pandemic record with $48.5 million debut

Los Angeles: "Godzilla vs Kong" muscled its way to a pandemic-era box office record, giving Hollywood studios and theater owners alike hope that people are ready to return to the movies after a year of watching Netflix at home.

The tentpole, from Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment, generated $ 32 million over the weekend and $ 48.5 million in its first five days of release. That's easily the biggest debut since coronavirus hit. Prior to this weekend, "Wonder Woman 1984" had the biggest three-day start with $ 16.7 million, followed by "Tom and Jerry" with $ 14 million. The results for "Godzilla vs. Kong" are especially impressive because the film is also available to HBO Max subscribers for no extra fee. It's unclear how many people have streamed the movie. David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseentertainmentResearch, called opening weekend ticket sales "strong" given the "still-difficult conditions."