Mortal Kombat's HBO Max audience reportedly exceeded those for Godzilla vs. Kong and Zack Snyder's Justice League in its first weekend.
Per viewer recommendation and tracking company Samba TV, Mortal Kombat was streamed by 3.8 million U.S. households subscribed to HBO Max from April 23-25. That's more than double the number of U.S. households that watched Zack Snyder's Justice League in its first three days of release (1.8 million) and surpasses Godzilla vs. Kong's opening weekend total of 3.6 million.
Mortal Kombat was also reportedly streamed more than Wonder Woman 1984 during their respective HBO Max premieres, with the latter being watched by 2.2 million U.S. households from Dec. 25-27, 2020. The Wonder Woman sequel was the first Warner Bros. film to roll-out using a hybrid approach, bowing in theaters on the same day it began streaming on HBO Max for a month. Godzilla vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat each released the same way, with Zack Snyder's Justice League streaming as an HBO Max exclusive only.
Despite being available to watch from home, Godzilla vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat have both performed strongly at the pandemic-era box office. Godzilla vs. Kong has now surpassed the $400 million mark at the global box office, making it the only U.S. movie to do so this year. Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat topped the domestic box office in its opening weekend, grossing $22.5 million over its first three days.
For the time being, WarnerMedia is sticking to its plan to release all of Warner Bros.' 2021 movies using this same hybrid model. In addition to giving theaters financial support amidst the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this has allowed the company to continue growing its streaming audience. As of the end of the first quarter, HBO and HBO Max have amassed more than 44 million subscribers. They are now expected to have 67 to 70 million subscribers worldwide by the end of 2021, exceeding WarnerMedia's earlier projection of 61 million.
Directed by Simon McQuoid and produced by James Wan, Mortal Kombat stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Mehcad Brooks as Jackson "Jax" Bridges, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han and Sub-Zero, Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Matilda Kimber as Emily Young and Laura Brent as Allison Young. The film is now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Twitter