‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Officially Smashes a Box Office Record on Day 1

Godzilla Minus Zero earned a record-setting $33 million domestic opening, the biggest debut for an international film and higher than Godzilla vs. Kong’s pandemic-era $32 million opening. The result puts the Japanese sequel on course for a strong weekend, supported by favourable reviews, and sees it lead a box office topped by international releases.

Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the film is the follow-up to 2023’s Godzilla Minus One, which earned more than $55 million in North America and about $115 million worldwide on a reported $10 million budget, then won the Oscar for visual effects. Minus Zero reportedly cost $15 million, has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and grossed around $13 million over five days in Japan; its predecessor opened domestically to $11 million.