How “Godzilla vs. Kong” Became the First Big Box Office Hit in 2021?

Screenshot from
Screenshot from "Godzilla vs. Kong"

Cinemas around the world have been suffering since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with box office numbers dropping to new lows. We’ve been waiting for one movie that has the power to “save the cinema” for over a year now, but could Godzilla vs. Kong be that movie?

This highly-anticipated monster movie is currently the highest-grossing film of 2021 in the U.S. By this point, it already earned $358 million on the international box office, and it’s only surpassed by Chinese comedies Hi, Mom and Detective Chinatown 3.

After less than a month in the theaters, Godzilla vs. Kong is close to earning more than Christopher Nolan’s Tenet—the movie that was supposed to reawaken our passion for movie theaters. Calling it the first pandemic box office hit wouldn’t be an understatement, but how exactly did it earn that title?

Godzilla vs. Kong may be mindless fun, but that’s exactly what we need right now. After a year of not going to the cinema, moviegoers just want to watch two monsters going head to head. Box office numbers for movies in this franchise have always been high due to its universal appeal. The generally positive reviews also don’t hurt its case, and it’s not surprising that people from all around the world flocked to see it and escape real-life disasters for two hours.