King Kong mauls Wolverine in battle of the box office
Kong: Skull Island emerged victorious after a battle of the beasts that pit the giant ape movie against Wolverine's last stand.
Cresting a wave of good reviews, the origin story of King Kong, starring Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson, topped the US box office after it opened last weekend.
It racked up US$61 million (S$86 million), significantly more than estimates of between US$45 million and US$50 million.
King Kong's roar didn't totally drown out Wolverine's berserker rage though. In its second weekend, Logan dropped to US$37.8 million, pushing its US total to US$152.6 million.
Both films are showing in cinemas here.
Kong: Skull Island gets bragging rights for topping expectations, but the film isn't out of the woods yet. It cost a hefty US$185 million to produce, which means that it will need to be a hit overseas if Legendary and Warner Bros, the studios behind the film, want to make a profit.
Kong: Skull Island is also staring down Disney's Beauty And The Beast, a live-action fairy tale that is expected to premiere to as much as US$120 million this weekend.
It opens here on Thursday.- REUTERS
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