‘Godzilla x Kong’ maintains box-office dominion in second weekend

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” easily swatted away a pair of challengers to hold on to the top spot at the box office for the second week in a row, according to studio estimates Sunday. After its above-expectations $80 million launch last weekend, the MonsterVerse mash-up brought in $31.7 million over its second weekend, a 60% drop from its debut. “Godzilla x Kong” extended its box-office reign as another primate-themed movie arrived in theaters. Dev Patel’s “Monkey Man,” an India-set revenge thriller released by Universal Pictures, opened with an estimated $10.1 million. The horror film “First Omen” struggled to make a big impact with moviegoers. It came in third with an estimated $8.4 million.