Toho's R-rated kaiju sequel opened at No. 1 in North America and topped the global chart, shattering a record that had stood since 2002.
"Godzilla Minus Zero" took the top spot at the North American box office over the weekend of November 6-8, earning $31.6 million from 3,254 theaters. According to Variety, that is the largest opening ever for a live-action foreign-language film in the region, well past the $17.8 million that China's martial arts epic "Hero" collected in 2002. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, produced by Japan's Toho and released in the U.S. by Gkids, the film also led the worldwide chart with $63 million, Deadline reported, ahead of "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" at $55.7 million.
A Premium-Screen Phenomenon
The most striking number from the weekend is not the total but where it came from. Variety said "Godzilla Minus Zero" is the first Japanese production ever filmed for Imax, and Imax screens alone contributed $12.7 million, or about 40% of domestic grosses. When Dolby and other premium large-format screens are added, those auditoriums accounted for 74% of ticket sales. Deadline called that share a never-before-seen stat and compared it with "The Odyssey," which drew 52% of its $123.5 million opening from Imax and premium formats.
The money came in steadily across the weekend. Deadline's daily breakdown showed $14.6 million on Friday, including previews, followed by $9.45 million on Saturday and $7.56 million on Sunday. Previews alone had reached $6.7 million, a figure that included fan screenings on Godzilla Day, November 3. Deadline noted that the preview total beat the $2.1 million posted by Yamazaki's previous film, "Godzilla Minus One," before its $11.4 million opening, and topped Gkids' prior preview high for "The Boy and the Heron."
Strong Reviews and a Lean Marketing Budget
Audiences and critics both responded well. Variety reported a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and an "A" CinemaScore, the same grade the first film received. Deadline added that PostTrak exit polling showed 95% positive scores and an 85% definite recommend. The crowd skewed heavily male, at 76%, and young, with 18- to 34-year-olds making up 63% of the audience, according to Deadline.
The result looks even more efficient given the spending behind it. Deadline said marketing in North America cost under $10 million and that iSpot data showed no TV spots were bought for the film. "We're so happy to see audiences embrace 'Godzilla Minus Zero' at an unprecedented scale for an international film," Chance Huskey, Gkids' vice president of distribution, told Variety. David A. Gross of the newsletter FranchiseRe told the outlet that the opening "takes the Japanese production to a new level."
The film is also performing at home. Deadline put its running total in Japan at about $17 million, or 2.7 billion yen, since its Tuesday release, and said its Godzilla Day opening of 910 million yen was a record for a live-action film in Japan, beating the opening day of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
How the Sequel Builds on "Minus One"
"Godzilla Minus Zero" follows 2023's "Godzilla Minus One," which Variety said opened to $11.4 million, went on to earn $57 million in North America and $113 million worldwide, and won the Oscar for visual effects. The new film is set two years after its predecessor, with Godzilla regenerating and resurfacing to fight a new monster tormenting postwar Japan. Deadline's coverage indicates that monster is Ghidorah.
It is worth keeping the record in context. Deadline pointed out that the overall opening record for a foreign-language film in North America still belongs to the anime "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle," at $70.6 million. The new mark specifically covers live-action releases. Even so, roughly tripling the predecessor's opening is a clear sign that the franchise's audience has grown.
The Rest of the Chart
Warner Bros.' animated "The Cat in the Hat," with Bill Hader voicing the title character, opened second with $20.5 million from 4,003 locations. Variety called that a weak debut for a film based on one of the best-known children's books, noting the movie cost $92 million and that the studio has had a rough year of flops. Deadline was a little kinder, saying some had feared a high-teens start, and pointed to the film's "A" CinemaScore and the upcoming Veterans Day holiday as reasons it could hold up.
Angel Studios' faith-based musical "Drummer Boy" opened third with $9.3 million. A24's Elizabeth Holmes documentary "You Can See Everything" took fourth with $8.8 million in its fourth weekend, lifting its domestic total to about $79.7 million. Deadline said that makes it the second-highest-grossing documentary ever, excluding concert films, behind "Fahrenheit 9/11." "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" was fifth with $8.65 million for the three-day weekend and $12.1 million over four days, and Martin McDonagh's "Wild Horse Nine" opened eighth with $6 million from 1,100 theaters.
What It Means for Theaters
The weekend was healthy overall. Deadline put total grosses at $121.6 million, citing Rentrak, and called it the best first weekend of November since the pandemic. Variety reported a slightly different all-film total of $114 million but agreed that year-to-date domestic revenue has reached $8.6 billion, about 20% ahead of 2025. "It's another encouraging sign as we head toward the all-important holiday movie season," Rentrak's Paul Dergarabedian told Variety.
Next, "Godzilla Minus Zero" faces its second weekend, when the key question is how well it holds once fan demand cools. Its dependence on Imax and premium screens could become a pressure point as November brings new competition for those auditoriums. Variety listed upcoming releases including Paramount's "Ebenezer," Lionsgate's "Hunger Games" prequel "Sunrise on the Reaping," Universal's "Focker in Law" and Disney's animated "Hexed." For now, a Japanese monster movie made outside Hollywood's blockbuster machine is the biggest film in the world.