Godzilla vs. Kong roared into movie theaters in the U.S. on Wednesday, grabbing $9.6 million in box office receipts, the best opening day a movie has seen during the COVID era. The monster film, starring Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry, was screened at 2,409 venues Wednesday, and will land in 3,064 by Friday.
At this point, more than 94% of U.S. theaters have reopened. Godzilla vs. Kong is expected to be the biggest domestic debut of the year. Tom & Jerry holds the current crown.
The industry is especially enthusiastic because the film is available on HBO Max already as well.
“So people still go to see movies in theaters even when available at no extra cost on a streaming platform at home,” Rich Greenfield of LightShed wrote on Twitter. “Looks like Hollywood can learn from [Warner Bros.] and [WarnerMedia CEO] Jason Kilar.”