Godzilla Minus Zero took in $14.5 million on Friday, including Thursday previews, from 3,254 North American theaters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the GKids and Toho release is now projected to close the weekend near $32 million, well above the distributor’s mid-$20 million estimate.
If those numbers hold, the film would surpass Zhang Yimou’s Hero, which opened to $17.8 million in 2004, as the biggest live action foreign language debut in U.S. box office history. The projection also represents the largest opening in GKids history. Animated titles like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle are excluded from the foreign language comparison.
The film holds 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned an A CinemaScore from opening night audiences. The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney called it “a thrilling jolt of marauding monster action.”
The result builds on the momentum from Godzilla Minus One, Yamazaki’s 2023 predecessor that opened to $11.4 million and went on to earn $57.1 million domestically and $56.9 million internationally. That film also made history as Japan’s first feature to win the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
This weekend’s second place finisher, Warner Bros.’ The Cat in the Hat, is projected for roughly $18 million from 4,003 locations. The animated reimagining holds 45% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Final actuals will be reported Monday.
