Godzilla Minus Zero takes US box office by storm in opening weekend
Godzilla Minus Zero has topped the US box office in its opening weekend, setting a new record for the biggest live-action foreign-language film.
The film, the 39th in the franchise, generated $63 million worldwide, with $31.6 million coming from the US and Canada. It is shown in Japanese with English subtitles.
In Japan, the sequel to the 2003 Oscar-winning film set a domestic record for a live-action film, earning $5.75 million on its opening day on 3 November.
The film, directed by Takashi Yamazaki, is set in Japan in 1949, two years after the creature lay 'dead' at the bottom of the ocean. It shows a radioactively regenerated Godzilla confronting its three-headed nemesis, Ghidorah, with the help of human intervention.
Global release strategy
The film was principally shot on-location, including at a sports park in Ibaraki, northeast of Tokyo, and at a temple in Maizuru, Kyoto prefecture. Industry experts said the success of its global release on Imax and regular screens worldwide had easily exceeded expectations.
The large-format screens appear to have driven audience interest, generating 34% of Godzilla’s box office take on its opening weekend.
The latest Godzilla film faces competition from the Indian epic Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, which earned $55.7 million on its opening weekend. The Hindi-language blockbuster made $8.7 million in the US and $32 million in India.
Box office performance
"This weekend’s opening takes the Japanese production to a new level – it’s nearly three times the previous opening [of Godzilla Minus One] in December 2023," industry analyst David A Gross wrote.
The film’s success highlights the enduring popularity of the Godzilla franchise and the effectiveness of its global release strategy.
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