Godzilla’s Biggest Challenge: Finding Love in China

Godzilla is poised to destroy the world’s box offices, nothing less than the global domination one would expect from a giant lizard backed by an almost $200 million budget. The film storms onto almost 16,000 screens in 64 countries on Friday, and it’s likely to notch the third most lucrative opening of the year so far.

But the full measure of Godzilla’s powers won’t be known until June 13, when the mutant lizard tries to conquer China, the world’s second-largest movie market. Chinese moviegoers now account for roughly 10 percent of global box office revenue, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. Last year, Chinese film fans spent $3.6 billion on the movies, and they are on pace to hit $5 billion this year.