Godzilla Minus Zero is stomping its way into the record books. Takashi Yamazaki’s sequel to the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One is on course for an industry-estimated $31–32 million opening weekend in North America — a figure that would make it the biggest domestic opening ever for a live-action foreign-language film.
The film opened on Friday, 6 November, in 3,254 theatres, and the numbers have beaten even the most optimistic pre-release tracking. Distributor GKIDS had been projecting an opening in the mid-$20 millions. Instead, the King of the Monsters has nearly tripled the opening of the film that came before it — and done it with a fraction of a Hollywood blockbuster’s budget.
The Weekend by the Numbers
According to TheWrap‘s Saturday reporting, Godzilla Minus Zero took an estimated $14.7 million on its opening day, putting it on course for a $31 million weekend estimate. Deadline’s figures, reported across the weekend coverage, put Friday at $13.5 million including $6.7 million from Thursday previews, with a projected weekend range of $30–33 million and a Saturday-morning update of $32 million. Either way, the conclusion is the same: this is a historic opening for a subtitled film.
| Opening day (Friday, 6 Nov) | ~$13.5–14.7 million (incl. Thursday previews; estimates vary by tracker) |
| Thursday previews | $6.7 million |
| Estimated opening weekend | $31–32 million |
| Theatres | 3,254 |
| CinemaScore | A |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 90% critics / 96% audience |
| Reported production budget | ~$15 million |
All weekend figures are industry estimates. Studio estimates land on Sunday, with confirmed actuals following on Monday, so the final total could still move a few million in either direction.
A Record Two Decades in the Making
The previous benchmark for a live-action foreign-language opening in North America was Zhang Yimou’s Hero, which launched with $17.8 million back in 2004. Godzilla Minus Zero is set to nearly double that — and it is doing so in a marketplace where subtitled films rarely crack the top five, let alone take the No. 1 spot.
In fact, Minus Zero is only the fourth non-English-language film ever to top the US box office, joining The Passion of the Christ, Hero and the anime hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. The comparison with its own predecessor is just as striking: Godzilla Minus One opened with $11.4 million in December 2023 on its way to a $57.4 million domestic total. Minus Zero has nearly tripled that opening in a single day.
The film had already made history before it reached American screens. It opened in Japan on Tuesday, 3 November — Godzilla Day, the anniversary of the original 1954 film — earning ¥910 million (around $5.7 million) on its first day, with more than 590,000 admissions. Toho has described that as an opening-day record for a live-action film in Japan, though Deadline noted it could not independently verify the claim.
Why It Is Working
Three things are driving the result. First, the reviews: a 90% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, a 96% audience score and an A on CinemaScore is the kind of across-the-board approval that turns a fan event into a general-audience outing. Second, the groundwork laid by Minus One: streaming guide JustWatch reports that the 2023 film became the most-watched film across all streaming platforms this past week, as new audiences caught up before seeing the sequel. And third, the release strategy — GKIDS booked the film into IMAX and premium large-format screens nationwide, giving a visually spectacular kaiju film the biggest canvas possible, on a domestic marketing budget reported at under $10 million and driven largely by social media.
The Rest of the Weekend
Warner Bros.’ The Cat in the Hat is a distant second, with a $6 million opening day from 4,003 locations and an estimated $18 million weekend. That is below past Warner animated launches such as DC League of Super Pets ($23 million in 2022), though the film earned an A on CinemaScore — its strongest marks coming from the core family demographic — and Warner will be hoping word of mouth carries it through to Thanksgiving.
In a tight race for third, A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything and Sony’s Indian epic Ramayana: Rise of a Legend are each estimated in the $6–8 million range for the weekend, with trackers differing on the exact order. For You Can See Everything, that is a remarkable fourth-weekend hold that would take its total towards $79 million, as it chases Fahrenheit 9/11 as only the second non-music or nature documentary to cross $100 million domestically. Ramayana is looking at a four-day opening in the $9–11.5 million range, depending on the tracker. Angel Studios’ Drummer Boy rounds out the top five with an estimated $7.9 million from 2,850 locations.
What It Means and What Comes Next
The big question now is whether Minus Zero can match its predecessor’s staying power. Minus One legged out to $57.4 million domestically and $113 million worldwide; Minus Zero could pass that domestic total within its first two weekends if it holds even reasonably well. The risk, as TheWrap notes, is front-loading — fans of Minus One rushing out in week one. But the A CinemaScore and 96% audience rating argue against a steep collapse, and with no major blockbuster competition until next weekend, the film has a clear runway.
For GKIDS and Toho, the result is already a landmark: a Japanese-language sequel, made for a reported $15 million, outgrossing every American studio release in the frame. For the wider industry, it is the latest proof — after Parasite, Demon Slayer and now this — that the supposed ceiling on subtitled films in North America was never as low as Hollywood assumed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Godzilla Minus Zero make on its opening weekend?
Industry estimates put the North American opening weekend at around $31–32 million from 3,254 theatres. These are estimates — confirmed actuals arrive on Monday.
What record did Godzilla Minus Zero break?
It is on course to become the biggest domestic opening ever for a live-action foreign-language film, beating the $17.8 million set by Hero in 2004. It is also only the fourth non-English film ever to top the US box office.
How does it compare to Godzilla Minus One?
Minus One opened with $11.4 million in December 2023 and finished with $57.4 million domestically. Minus Zero has nearly tripled that opening, and could pass the predecessor’s entire domestic total within two weekends.
What are the reviews like?
Strong across the board: 90% from critics and 96% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, plus an A on CinemaScore.
When did Godzilla Minus Zero release?
It opened in Japan on Tuesday, 3 November 2026 (Godzilla Day) and in North America on Friday, 6 November 2026. It is directed by Takashi Yamazaki and distributed in North America by GKIDS.