LOS ANGELES, April 1 — Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire roared to the top of the North American box office on its debut weekend, pulverising competition with a huge US$80 million haul in ticket sales, according to industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.

“The final numbers may change by today, but whatever they are, this is a fantastic opening,” analyst David A. Gross said, with ticket sales 2.5 times the average for a sequel to a monster flick.