'Godzilla X Kong' Tops Box Office With (Very) Good $37 Million Friday

How many times are King Kong and Godzilla going to have to save the theatrical industry via a new blockbuster opening over Easter weekend?

Three years ago, just shy of my 41st birthday, I wrote in amazement and relief as Godzilla Vs. Kong earned $9.6 million on its debut Wednesday amid COVID conditions, HBO Max availability, and a theatrical marketplace that was mostly closed in Canada, mostly closed during the day, and otherwise hindered from performing to capacity. Unfortunately, amid a year of light on surefire tentpoles and generally light (compared to 2023 and pre-COVID slates) theatrical releases, the god and the king must save us again. Considering this franchise was considered a dead man walking after King of the Monsters bombed in 2019, I’m reminded of another hero who rose from the proverbial ashes to repeatedly save us from monsters of our own making. I’m speaking, of course, of Robocop.