NEW YORK – “Godzilla Minus Zero” stomped into movie theaters with a chart-topping $31.6 million over the weekend, scoring a record debut for a foreign-language film at the North American box office.
This exciting sequel, directed by Takashi Yamazaki, follows the success of “Godzilla Minus One,” which won an Oscar earlier this year. “Godzilla Minus Zero” easily beat out Warner Bros.’ animated film “The Cat in the Hat,” which opened with a respectable $20.5 million, plus an additional $10 million earned overseas.
As Godzilla celebrated his 72nd birthday, Yamazaki brought the franchise back to its Japanese roots with a storyline set in post-World War II Japan. This film has not only set a record for live-action foreign language films but has also shown the growing trend of international films captivating American audiences.
The film’s opening weekend performance is particularly impressive, as it surpassed the previous record held by “Hero” (2004), which launched with $17.9 million. While anime films like “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” have previously garnered higher openings, “Godzilla Minus Zero” has made a significant mark for live-action movies.
In addition to “Godzilla,” another major release this weekend was “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend,” an epic Hindi-language film that opened with $8.7 million domestically and an impressive $32 million in India. Both “Godzilla Minus Zero” and “Ramayana” enjoyed global releases, hitting theaters in their home countries simultaneously with North America.
Koji Ueda, president of Toho Global, expressed excitement about the film’s success, stating, “This historic opening shows how deeply audiences around the world connect with Godzilla and with Takashi Yamazaki’s vision.” The previous film, “Godzilla Minus One,” was the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film in the U.S. and Canada, earning over $57 million.
With a budget of less than $20 million, “Godzilla Minus Zero” is expected to surpass its predecessor’s earnings. The film has received positive reviews, boasting a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” CinemaScore from audiences.
Both films were filmed for IMAX, and “Godzilla Minus Zero” had an early release in IMAX theaters, generating a substantial $21.3 million globally from this format alone.
In the midst of “Godzilla’s” triumph, “The Cat in the Hat” struggled to capture audience interest, opening to only $20.5 million. Reviews have not been favorable, holding a 44% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In contrast, Laika’s stop-motion animated film “Wildwood” has maintained strong audience support, earning $7 million in its third weekend.
Angel Studios’ “Drummer Boy” debuted with $9.3 million and has also gained traction with audiences, marking a successful opening for the Revolutionary War-set musical.
As the box office continues to evolve, films like “Wild Horse Nine,” which opened to $6 million domestically, show a promising trend for award-season contenders. With a stellar reception since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, “Wild Horse Nine” is gaining momentum as a top Oscar contender.
As audiences flock to theaters, the overall ticket sales have surged, showing a remarkable 96.8% increase from the previous weekend. The top ten movies this weekend reflect the changing dynamics of the box office, with “Godzilla Minus Zero” leading the pack:
1. “Godzilla Minus Zero,” $31.6 million.
2. “The Cat in the Hat,” $20.5 million.
3. “Drummer Boy,” $9.3 million.
4. “You Can See Everything,” $8.9 million.
5. “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend,” $8.7 million.
6. “Wildwood,” $7 million.
7. “Clayface,” $6.7 million.
8. “Wild Horse Nine,” $6 million.
9. “Stray Kids live viewing,” $3.7 million.
10. “Wicker,” $3.4 million.
