Although Mike Dougherty's Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters did not fare as well as expected at the domestic box office, sources close to Legendary have told Yahoo! Movies that the studio isn't taking the loss too harshly. As expected, Legendary's focus for Godzilla resides primarily in Asian markets, where the film performed much better - grossing $70 million in China alone.
While Legendary tailors its films for international markets, the studio was let down by the domestic box office debut of “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” according to an individual familiar with Legendary’s thinking.
“They were a little disappointed by it, but there’s a lot that goes into it, and they’re looking at it as a stepping stone to the larger franchise,” the individual said, noting that production is already underway on next March’s movie-monster mashup “Godzilla vs. Kong,” which will also be distributed by Warner Bros. “Legendary fully believes in the future of the franchise and when you get Kong going up against Godzilla, we’re sure that’ll be huge.”
The success of Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong will dictate what happens next for the Monsterverse cinematic universe. With so much potential still available for Godzilla in overseas markets, it's unlikely faltering box office numbers here in North America will slow down the Monsterverse's momentum.
You can read the full report here on Yahoo.
Before you keep reading, check out this Godzilla Minus One inspired shirt we think you might like!
From Legendary, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova will hit theaters on March 26th, 2027! Visit the GxK: Supernova page for more information, production updates and everything we know so far!
From Toho, Takashi Yamazaki is directing a sequel to Godzilla Minus One! Visit the Godzilla Minus One sequel page for the latest information!
There is also the next season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on the way, as well as other spin-off Godzilla series in the works at Apple TV!