ey Takeaways:
– Monsterverse franchise earns $1.4 billion from Godzilla despite Titan’s minimal screentime.
– Godzilla features for 8 minutes only in the new film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024).
– The franchise’s earnings reveal Kong: Skull Island (2017) needs to be omitted—Godzilla had no screentime.
– Outrage sparks among fans, demanding more screentime for Godzilla, their beloved character.
Godzilla Screentime: A Stark Contrast to Monsterverse’s Lucrative Success
Monsterverse, which emerged from the profitable 2014 Godzilla movie, brought some fan-favorite creatures roaring back onto the big screen. Regardless, the actual proportion of Kaiju screentime within the franchise is notably small compared to the colossal box office figures.
Recently, the new Monsterverse film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), graced theatres, revealing another meet-up between the two iconic titans against a daunting adversary. Godzilla’s screentime, however, left many fans riled up. Here, the beloved Kaiju faces off against the powerful ape Titan, Skar King, and an ice dragon, Shimo, but only appears on screen for about 8 minutes.
Godzilla: Minimal Presence, Maximum Impact
A report by Physical Media’s president tabulated Godzilla’s presence in the franchise, revealing unnerving screentime statistics. According to the analysis, Godzilla’s participation tallied around 10 minutes in Godzilla (2014) and 11 minutes each in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs Kong (2021). Yet, the Titan’s presence is even less in the new installment, The New Empire, where he merely features for eight minutes.
These numbers have incited powerful reactions among fans and stirred debates as Godzilla takes a back seat, particularly when pitted against box-office figures. While some lamented the Godzilla versus Kong storyline’s focus shift towards Kong, others decidedly had higher hopes for the sequel.
Monsterverse Earnings: Big G’s Large Contribution with Small Screentime
However, the fact remains that regardless of Godzilla’s screentime, his imposing showdown has effortlessly riveted global audiences. Big G’s fierce presence, albeit short-lived, has indeed boosted the MonsterVerse’s earnings significantly.
The Numbers, a box office data provider, reports that the MonsterVerse series has grossed a staggering $1.9 billion globally till now. Godzilla had no screentime in Kong: Skull Island (2017), yet the franchise earned over $561 million from the film. Adding up all movies except this, the total gross revenue comes to a hefty $1.4 billion, thanks to the franchise’s leading titan.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – Defying Expectations
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire defied predictions, debuting with an $80 million domestic box-office yield, which is quite far from the projected range of $50 million to $55 million. The film’s monstrous opening marks it as the second-biggest debut for Legendary’s MonsterVerse after the 2014 Godzilla movie, which took in $93 million domestically.
Regardless of the controversies and criticism surrounding Godzilla’s screentime, it is indubitable that the iconic Titan played a key role in the MonsterVerse’s massive commercial success. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire continues to run in theatres, and it remains to be seen if the franchise will heed fans’ calls for more Godzilla screentime in future installments.
