Since first debuting in the 1954 Japanese film GojiraGodzilla has become one of the most widely recognized movie monsters and is often referred to as the King of the Monsters, an allusion to the 1956 American adaptation: Godzilla, King of the Monsters! The dinosaur-like creature has decimated cities around the globe in movies, comics, and on television for over half a century, including the most recent film from director Gareth Edwards (read our review).

Arguably, though, the newest film starring the King of the Monsters is already the most successful - at least in terms of box office projections - and is the only American-made Godzilla film to get the official go ahead for a sequel.

Godzilla had the biggest international opening yet in 2014 and the second biggest domestic opening (behind Captain America 2), taking the number 1 spot in the U.S. Right out of the gate, Godzilla raked in $9.3 million in Thursday night advance showings, pulling a total of $93 million domestically and $196 worldwide. Godzilla also had the biggest IMAX opening of the year with $14.1 million - 15 percent of its total domestic earnings - while 51 percent of the film’s international gross was from IMAX screens. Deadline reports that, in response to the promising numbers, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are already developing a Godzilla 2.

Comparatively, the King of the Monsters' last American film - Roland Emmerich’s 1998 Godzilla - grossed $55 million in its Memorial Day opening weekend, $136 million domestically, and $379 million overall (on a $130 million budget).

Godzilla 2014 Big Opening Weekend

Though Toho Company, the production studio behind Gojira, has built up a beloved cult classic franchise around the King of the Monsters, American studios have yet to see similar series success with Godzilla. Could Edwards’ reimagining of the King of the Monsters prove Godzilla can sustain its own franchise in Hollywood with the upcoming sequel?

Edwards has already demonstrated his unique perspective when it comes to monster flicks - his 2010 sci-fi release, Monsters, only grossed $4 million but became a cult hit among critics. Its sequel, Monsters: Dark Continent, is due to hit theaters later this year.

However, Edwards has not yet commented on whether he will return for the Godzilla sequel. Can the studio produce a successful sequel without Edwards? We’ll need more information from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures before we can answer these questions.

What say you, Screen Rant readers? Are you happy to hear Godzilla 2 is officially in the works? Let us know in the comments.

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Godzilla is in theaters everywhere. Stay tuned to Screen Rant for more information on Godzilla 2.

Source: Deadline