Takashi Yamazaki at the New York Film Festival in September 2026. Photo by Dodoeggs, cropped (CC BY-SA)
The King of the Monsters just flattened the box office. Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus Zero opened at No. 1 in North America with an estimated $31.6 million over the Nov. 6–8 weekend, the Associated Press reported. That is the biggest opening ever for a live-action foreign-language film there.
Key Takeaways
- Studio estimates put the opening at $31.6 million, well ahead of Warner Bros.’ animated The Cat in the Hat at $20.5 million.
- Box Office Mojo now lists $30.6 million for the Friday-to-Sunday frame, a little under Sunday’s estimate. Either way, it is a record.
- The previous live-action record was Hero’s $17.9 million launch in 2004, per AP. The Passion of the Christ ($83.8 million) is usually counted separately because of its largely Aramaic dialogue.
- The Toho production, distributed in North America by GKIDS, cost less than $20 million, according to AP.
The Full Story
The sequel to 2023’s Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One is set in post-WWII Japan and is shown in Japanese with English subtitles. It took about $63 million worldwide in its first weekend, The Guardian reported, and AP says it grossed about $17 million in Japan, where it opened at the same time.
IMAX did heavy lifting. AP reports the film made $21.3 million globally from IMAX screens, or 34% of its take. Critics (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (an “A” CinemaScore) are on board too. “This historic opening shows how deeply audiences around the world connect with Godzilla and with Takashi Yamazaki’s vision,” Toho Global president Koji Ueda said in a statement quoted by AP.
The Social Conversation
Fans are already doing the math. Godzilla Minus One finished with $57.1 million in North America, and AP says Minus Zero “is sure to blow past” that. The other question is what this means for Hollywood’s own big lizard: Warner Bros. and Legendary release Godzilla x Kong: Supernova in March.
