It's a showdown of epic proportions at the box office this weekend, with a clash of primates and a dose of classic horror. Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros.' latest offering, 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' continues to dominate the domestic charts, fending off the debuts of Universal's action-packed 'Monkey Man' and 20th Century Studios' horror revival 'The First Omen.'
Despite facing stiff competition, 'The New Empire' managed to secure the top spot with an $8.5 million haul on Friday, marking a 77% drop from its opening day performance. The film is expected to experience a significant decline of over 60% throughout the weekend, highlighting the tough competition it faced. In contrast, 'Dune: Part Two' saw a much milder 44% drop in its second weekend.
Nevertheless, 'The New Empire' has already crossed the $100 million mark domestically, joining only two other films this year in achieving this milestone. The movie also had a strong start internationally, drawing in crowds with the iconic Godzilla and King Kong characters. With a production budget of $150 million, the film is meeting expectations for Legendary and Warner Bros., although its performance is slightly tapering off after its impressive opening weekend.
In second place is Universal's 'Monkey Man,' starring and directed by Dev Patel in his feature directorial debut. The action film earned $4.2 million on Friday and is projected to debut with $10.5 million from 3,029 locations, slightly below initial expectations. The film received positive reviews following its premiere at the SXSW Festival and holds a B+ grade from Cinema Score.
On the other hand, 'The First Omen' had a less successful debut, earning $3.2 million on Friday and falling short of the projected $14 million opening. The horror film, a prequel to the original 1976 'The Omen,' is budgeted at $30 million and received mixed reviews from audiences, garnering a C grade on Cinema Score.
Meanwhile, Sony's 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' is expected to secure fourth place with a 42% drop in its third weekend. The supernatural comedy sequel is set to surpass $85 million domestically, along with $40 million internationally, but may struggle to justify its $100 million production budget and marketing expenses.
Lastly, Universal's 'Kung Fu Panda 4' is projected to round out the top five with another $8 million in earnings, surpassing the domestic total of the second installment in the franchise. The DreamWorks Animation title continues to perform steadily in North America.
