NEW YORK -- Once again, mayhem and mass destruction is back at the box office.
It's almost like old times.
"Godzilla vs. Kong," one of the few tentpoles to dare release during COVID-19 times, is poised this weekend to set a new high in ticket sales during the pandemic.
It won't be the kind of blockbuster business such a big-budget release would typically manage, but experts forecast a launch of at least $25 million.
Warner Brothers says opening-day ticket sales on Wednesday for "Godzilla vs. Kong" totalled $9.6 million -- single-day pandemic record and more than most 2020-2021 opening weekend hauls.
Last weekend, the monster mash pulled in an impressive $123.1-million internationally.
In China, where movie-going is close to pre-pandemic levels, the movie made about $70-million, double the debut of 2014's "Godzilla."
For the first time in a long time, there's the faint hint of a hit at the box office.
Joshua Grode, chief executive of Legendary Entertainment, which produced "Godzilla vs. Kong" says it's a good omen that the tastes of the consumer have not shifted so much that there's no possibility of re-starting the movie business.
But huge challenges remain to the revival of movie-going.
With so many cinemas shuttered for nearly an entire year, many movie-goers are out of the habit and some are unlikely to return to sitting indoors with strangers until they're vaccinated or the pandemic has ebbed.
