“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” had a suitably monstrous opening this past weekend, grossing $194 million worldwide, while “Dune 2” passed the $600 million mark.

However, the results of both films in China reflect the unpredictability of the country's box office.

The new “Godzilla” grossed more than $44 million in its first weekend in China, about the same as “Dune 2” grossed there in four weekends, according to Comscore.

But “Dune 2”’s struggle in China isn’t due to a lack of passion among Chinese moviegoers.