A week after release, a massive milestone has been breached.

Image by Zanda Rice

The Big Picture

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
smashes box office records, surpassing $100 million domestically in just its first week.
Despite mixed critical reviews, the audience approval rating for the epic monster showdown is a high 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Prepare for an action-packed adventure as Godzilla and Kong team up to face an apocalyptic threat in a thrilling new installment of the MonsterVerse.

The collateral damage from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has smashed through the $100 million mark at the domestic box office following a successful first week for the epic Monsterverse movie. After Thursday’s takings were counted, the movie’s domestic box office now stands at TK. Released to a an unexpectedly strong response from audiences on Friday last week — it debuted in a number of overseas markets some days earlier — the epic monster-bashing popcorn flick set itself up for success immediately. Not only has the movie already recovered its production budget — which was already reduced from its predecessor — it is already practically guaranteed to return a profit for Legendary.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a continuation of the epic battles that define the MonsterVerse, this time bringing together Godzilla and Kong as reluctant partners as they face a new apocalyptic threat. The story takes a deep dive into both kaijus’ existence, with Godzilla defending the surface world and Kong exploring the uncharted depths of the Hollow Earth. Their paths converge when Kong discovers a hidden layer beneath the Hollow Earth, uncovering an enslaved civilisation and a history that connects their fates more deeply than ever before. Forced to put aside their legendary rivalry, Godzilla and Kong team up with both old and new allies to confront this existential threat, the ferocious Skar King, delivering an action-packed adventure that not only challenges their strength but also explores the rich lore of these iconic characters​ in new and thrilling ways. And also, they wrestle and destroy the Pyramids.

Is ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Worth Seeing?
Image via Legendary Pictures

Reviews for the film haven’t exactly been outstanding, however. It’s currently sitting at a “rotten” 54% critics score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, although scores from audiences who have seen the film are much higher across the board. It received an A- CinemaScore from opening day viewers, and currently has a 92% audience approval rating on RT. Starring Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, Bryan Tyree Henry and Kaylee Hottle, Godzilla x Kong arrives just a couple of months after the Japanese film Godzilla Minus One emerged as a word-of-mouth hit and reignited interest in both the King of the Monsters, and kaiju pictures generally. It was also rewarded for its stunning animation work by earning the Best Visual Effects award at the Oscars last month.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire continues to pulverise theaters, so why not join in the fun and take on the Skar King. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.