ENTERTAINMENT
The monster is back, and the numbers are enormous. Godzilla Minus Zero, the Japanese-made sequel to the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One, opened at No. 1 at the North American box office this weekend with $31.6 million, according to studio estimates reported by the Associated Press. That is a record for a foreign-language film in the region, beating the live-action mark set in 2004 by Hero, which opened to $17.9 million.
The film beat out Warner Bros.' The Cat in the Hat, which took in $20.5 million domestically, plus $10 million overseas, on a reported $86 million budget. The Cat in the Hat holds a 44 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and, as the AP put it, drew only modest interest.
The Numbers Behind the Roar
TheWrap reports the film played in 3,254 locations, which works out to roughly $9,700 per location by simple division. The opening is a record for GKIDS, the Toho-owned distributor that handled the release, surpassing the $13 million debut of The Boy and the Heron in 2023. It is also nearly triple the $11.4 million opening of Godzilla Minus One in December 2023.
Overseas, the film added about $31 million, including $17 million in Japan, where it opened on Nov. 3. Adding the reported domestic and overseas figures gives a global total of roughly $62.6 million, a calculation based on those published numbers rather than a figure either outlet stated.
The AP notes that the sequel cost under $20 million, while Godzilla Minus One cost under $15 million and went on to win the Oscar for best visual effects. That film earned $57.1 million in the United States and Canada, a total the new film is expected to surpass, perhaps within days.
Where It Sits in History
Context matters here. Foreign-language films rarely open at the top of the American chart; TheWrap counts Godzilla Minus Zero as only the fourth non-English film to reach No. 1 on the U.S. weekend chart. Its debut is also the second-highest for a live-action non-English film, behind only The Passion of the Christ, which opened to $83 million in 2004. The AP adds that last year's anime Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle opened bigger, at $70.6 million, though that is an animated release.
Audiences loved it. The film earned an 'A' CinemaScore, and Rotten Tomatoes lists a 90 percent critics' score and 96 percent audience score, according to the AP and TheWrap respectively. Strong word of mouth is what separates a big opening from a long run, and A-grade scores suggest this one has legs.
The IMAX Factor
The film was shot for IMAX and played in the format exclusively on Tuesday before expanding to other screens. According to the AP, IMAX generated $21.3 million globally, or 34 percent of the film's box office. Rough arithmetic from that share points to a worldwide total near $63 million, consistent with the figure above.
That premium-format share underscores a quiet trend: audiences will pay more for a visceral experience, especially for spectacle. A Godzilla movie is close to the ideal use case for a very large screen with very loud sound.
A Good Weekend for Other Outliers
Godzilla was not the only international title to make noise. Sony's Ramayana: Rise of a Legend took $8.7 million domestically and $32 million in India, according to the AP, which describes it as the widest North American release ever for an Indian film and the most expensive Indian film ever made. It is the first of two parts.
The rest of the top ten was a mixed bag. Angel Studios' Drummer Boy took third with $9.3 million, A24's documentary You Can See Everything earned $8.9 million in its fourth weekend for $79.8 million to date, and Laika's Wildwood grossed $7 million in its third weekend, down 22 percent, with $39.8 million domestically against a budget of at least $100 million. Overall ticket sales rose 96.8 percent from the previous weekend, which was a slow Halloween frame, according to Rentrak.
The Studio Perspective
Toho Global president Koji Ueda said in a statement quoted by the AP: 'This historic opening shows how deeply audiences around the world connect with Godzilla.' It is a notable moment for a franchise that is now more than seven decades old, and one that has moved between Japanese and Hollywood productions. The AP notes that Warner Bros. and Legendary will release the American-made Godzilla x Kong: Supernova in March.
The commercial lesson for Hollywood is hard to miss. A modestly budgeted, well-reviewed, distinctly made film beat a studio tentpole with a far larger spend. It will not settle any debates about the future of the industry, but it adds weight to the argument that originality and craft can compete with scale.
What This Means for You
If you missed the first film, it is currently the most-watched movie on any streaming platform, according to JustWatch via TheWrap, which makes a double feature easy. If you plan to see the sequel, the IMAX numbers suggest it is worth seeing on the largest screen you can find. And if you were not previously a fan of subtitled films, the film's 'A' audience grade is a strong argument to give one a try.
Conclusion
Weekends like this are rare, and they tend to be remembered. A Japanese monster movie, made for a fraction of its rivals' budgets, has opened bigger than any foreign-language live-action film in North American history. Whether Godzilla Minus Zero can pass its predecessor's $57.1 million will be the next number to watch, but on the evidence of its opening and its audience scores, that looks like a matter of when, not if.
