‘Kong: Skull Island’ reigns supreme in US box office battle

Kong: Skull Island emerged victorious after a battle of the beasts that pitted the giant ape movie against Logan, the Wolverine's last stand. Cresting a wave of good reviews, the King Kong reboot topped the US box office, racking up a mighty $61 million (€57 million).

That easily beat estimates, which had Kong: Skull Island debuting to between $45 million and $50 million. King Kong's roar didn't totally drown out Wolverine's berserker rage.

In its second weekend, Fox's Logan dropped 58 per cent to $37.8 million, pushing its stateside total to $152.6 million. The R-rated comic book adventure is Hugh Jackman's swansong as Wolverine after nearly two decades playing the X-Men team member.

Kong: Skull Island gets bragging rights for topping expectations, but the film isn't out of the woods yet. It cost $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.

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Next week, Kong: Skull Island is also facing competition from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, a live-action fairy tale that is expected to make as much as $120 million in its first weekend.

That will likely dominate in the multiplexes, making it difficult for other films to keep drawing in big crowds.

– (Reuters)