GKids has a new champion. The distributor’s release of Godzilla Minus Zero roared to the top of the domestic box office with a $31.6 million opening weekend from 3,254 locations, according to studio estimates. The result not only leads all films but also stands as the biggest debut in GKids history, and it positions the Japanese-language title among a select group of non-English releases to reach No. 1 in North America.
A Record-Setting Debut for GKids
For GKids, the American subsidiary of Toho, the launch easily surpasses the company’s previous high-water mark: the $13 million opening of Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron in 2023. Godzilla Minus Zero box office performance also dwarfs that of its direct predecessor, Godzilla Minus One, which opened to $11.4 million in December 2023. The new film’s debut is nearly triple that figure.
Beyond the company record, Minus Zero becomes only the fourth non-English film to claim the top spot on the U.S. weekend charts. Among live-action non-English openings, it ranks second, trailing only The Passion of the Christ, which debuted to $83 million in 2004 in Hebrew, Latin, and Aramaic.
Overseas and Critical Reception
The film has also pulled in $31 million overseas, including $17 million in Japan, where it opened on Nov. 3 to coincide with the 72nd anniversary of the original Godzilla’s release. Stateside, early audience and critic response suggests staying power: Minus Zero earned an A CinemaScore, a 90% critics’ score, and a 96% audience score. Those marks, combined with the strong word-of-mouth, put it on a path to exceed the $57.1 million domestic total of Minus One.
There’s another factor that could help the sequel avoid a frontloaded run. Streaming data site JustWatch reports that Minus One was the most-watched film across any streaming platform this week, indicating that viewers who missed the earlier film are catching up before heading to theaters for the new installment.
The Cat in the Hat Opens in Second
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation’s The Cat in the Hat landed in second place with $20.5 million domestic and $30.5 million worldwide. The opening aligns with studio projections but falls well short of the $67.5 million debut of Universal/Illumination’s The Grinch in the same early-November slot in 2018. With a $92 million budget, the Dr. Seuss adaptation will need strong family turnout in the coming weeks, especially as it faces competition from Disney’s Hexed over Thanksgiving. The film received an A CinemaScore, with its strongest reactions coming from children and audiences over 50.
Drummer Boy Beats Expectations
Angel’s Drummer Boy, a musical drama about a Continental Army drummer during the Revolutionary War, opened to $9.3 million from 2,850 locations. That figure more than doubles pre-release projections of $5 million, fueled by fans of the Christian pop duo King + Country, who directed the film and wrote its songs.
In a tight race for fourth, A24’s You Can See Everything and Sony’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend are nearly tied. You Can See Everything added $8.8 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its cumulative total just shy of $80 million. The acclaimed documentary is now chasing the rare $100 million milestone for non-music, non-nature documentaries; Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 remains the only film in that category to reach that mark. Ramayana, the first part of a two-part Indian epic, posted $8.6 million over three days and $12.1 million over four days.
Holdovers and Specialty Openings
Fathom/Laika’s Wildwood earned $7 million in its third weekend, lifting its domestic total to $40 million and putting it on track to pass the $48 million unadjusted total of Laika’s 2016 film Kubo and the Two Strings. Warner Bros./DC Studios’ Clayface added $6.7 million in its third frame, reaching $56.6 million domestic and $109 million worldwide against a $40 million budget. Searchlight’s Wild Horse Nine, a CIA tragicomic thriller from Martin McDonagh, opened to $6 million from 1,100 locations.
