The box office is officially back, thanks to Warner Bros., and what we’ve learned is that we have a very abstract view behind a film’s release.
While Godzilla vs. Kong is a global box office hit, what truly made the difference is the deal between Warners and HBO Max, who reportedly paid in the $200M-$250M range for the streaming rights. As explained previously, this isn’t split with theaters or a provider, which makes that number on some level both gross and net. In layman’s terms, Godzilla vs. Kong was near profit before even entering theaters, albeit marketing costs need to be taken into account.
Digressing, Warner Bros. made the same move with Mortal Kombat, which opened on HBO Max the same day as entering theaters here in the States. While the number for the streaming rights hasn’t been made public, the assumption would be that it made the video game adaptation whole before even opening in cinemas across the globe. Keeping that in mind, Mortal Kombat took in $22.5M in its domestic opening and currently sits at $31.2M globally (this weekend’s international numbers have yet to be reported). With an alleged budget of around $55M, this is most likely a pretty big hit for Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema (as well as producers Atomic Monster) and should open the door to a sequel several of the cast members are already signed on for.
[Review] Mortal Kombat Tests Its Might With Fan Service and Crowd-Pleasing Spectacle
In Mortal Kombat, ”MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?”
In other big news, Godzilla vs. Kong has just topped $400 million globally even after premiering day-and-date with HBO Max subscribers. That’s crazy. Check out Meagan’s review right here of the latest from horror veteran Adam Wingard (V/H/S, You’re Next, The Guest).
In Godzilla vs. Kong, “Legends collide as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The epic clash between the two titans—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth.”
Godzilla vs. Kong is the fourth film in the MonsterVerse, which kicked off with Godzilla in 2014 and continued with Kong: Skull Island in 2017 and Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 2019.
