Godzilla Minus Zero Earns 13.5 Million on Friday and Eyes Record Foreign Language Opening

Godzilla Minus Zero earned 13.5 million dollars on its opening Friday in the United States and Canada, and it is now heading for a weekend total of 30 to 33 million dollars. If it reaches that range, it will set the record for the biggest domestic opening ever by a live action foreign language film. The current record belongs to Hero, which opened with 17.8 million dollars in 2004. The new film would pass that mark by a wide margin, and it would also become the biggest debut ever for distributor GKIDS. Opening night audiences gave the film an A CinemaScore, a grade that is rare for a non English language release.

Quick Facts

What the Friday Number Really Means

A Friday total of 13.5 million dollars is a strong result for any film, and it is a remarkable result for a Japanese language film playing with subtitles in North America. The total includes 6.7 million dollars from Thursday previews, which means that almost half of the Friday figure came from fans who chose to see the film on its first night. That kind of early demand usually points to a passionate core audience, and in this case that audience showed up in large numbers across 3,254 theatres.

Trade estimates put the opening weekend at 30 to 33 million dollars. That range is based on the Friday total and on the normal pattern for a film that opens on a Friday in November. If the film holds well on Saturday and Sunday, it will land near the top of that range. The film has opened far above the level most observers expected for a subtitled sequel, and it has done so in a crowded month for major releases. Readers who want a wider view of the month can check our November 2026 movies guide covering Godzilla, Dune and Hunger Games for the full release calendar.

How It Compares to Hero and the Old Record

The record that Godzilla Minus Zero is chasing has stood for more than two decades. Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou, opened with 17.8 million dollars in the United States in 2004. Its record survived for 22 years because few foreign language films have ever received a wide release of this size in North America.

Godzilla Minus Zero is now set to pass that record by a large margin. A weekend of 30 to 33 million dollars would be almost double the Hero opening. That gap is important because it shows that this is not a narrow win. It is a clear break from the old record, and it changes the way the industry will think about the commercial ceiling for a subtitled film. The comparison with the first film is also useful. Godzilla Minus One opened to 11.4 million dollars in the United States and went on to earn about 57.1 million dollars in the country. Godzilla Minus Zero has already passed the opening pace of its predecessor by a wide margin.

Why Audiences Responded So Strongly

The A CinemaScore is one of the most telling parts of this opening. CinemaScore measures the response of opening night audiences as they leave the theatre, and an A grade is hard to earn. Godzilla Minus One earned the same grade, which means that the sequel has now matched the audience response of a film that went on to win an Oscar. For a non English language release, that grade is rare, and it suggests that the film connects with viewers even when they are reading subtitles.

Part of the appeal comes from the director. Takashi Yamazaki wrote and directed the film, and he also directed the first film. His approach treats Godzilla as a serious threat in a Japan that is still recovering from war, rather than as a simple monster for a fun action film. The film also benefits from scale. It runs 135 minutes, and it is the first Japanese production ever filmed for IMAX. For more on the premium screen side of the story, see our report on IMAX record third quarter revenue and the Odyssey effect.

The Japan Opening Was Historic on Its Own

Before the film opened in North America, it opened in Japan on November 3, which is Godzilla Day and the 72nd anniversary of the original 1954 film. The film sold 590,000 tickets for 910 million yen on its first day, around 5.75 million dollars. Toho confirmed that this was the biggest opening day ever for any live action film in Japan, whether foreign or domestic.

The three day total in Japan reached 1.37 to 1.38 billion yen, roughly 8.7 million dollars. Forecasts point to a final total above 10 billion yen, about 63.2 million dollars. That figure would place the film among the biggest Japanese hits of recent years, and it would confirm that the sequel has grown from the first film rather than simply repeating its success. Trade estimates put the worldwide opening at around 60 million dollars across roughly 60 international markets. One market with a later date is India, as explained in our update on Godzilla Minus Zero in India postponed to November 20.

What This Means for GKIDS and Foreign Language Film

For GKIDS, the distributor, this opening is a landmark. The film would be the biggest debut ever for the company, which has built its name on bringing acclaimed animated and international films to North American audiences. GKIDS has handled many respected releases over the years, but it has never had an opening of this size. A weekend of 30 to 33 million dollars would change the scale of the company in a single weekend, and it would give it a new level of visibility with theatre owners and with audiences.

The result also matters for the wider market for foreign language films. For many years, the common view in Hollywood was that a subtitled film could only reach a limited audience in the United States. Godzilla Minus Zero is different because it opened wide and opened big from the first night. It did not need a slow build. If theatre owners see that a Japanese language film can fill premium screens on opening weekend, they may be more willing to give wide releases to other foreign language titles.

What to Watch Next

The next question is how the film performs on Saturday and Sunday. A strong Saturday would confirm that the Friday total was not driven only by fans who rushed out on the first night. A strong Sunday would suggest that family audiences and casual viewers are also turning out. Trade estimates already point to a weekend of 30 to 33 million dollars, but the final figure will depend on those two days. Final totals are usually reported on Monday, and they can move slightly from the early estimates.

The second question is how the film holds in its second weekend. Many event films open big and fall sharply in week two. Films with strong audience grades tend to fall less sharply, because good word of mouth brings in viewers who did not rush out on opening weekend. The A CinemaScore is a good sign here, and the first film also held well after its opening. All of these figures remain trade estimates until final totals are confirmed.

How much did Godzilla Minus Zero make on its opening Friday?

Godzilla Minus Zero earned 13.5 million dollars on its opening Friday in the United States and Canada, including 6.7 million dollars from Thursday previews. The film played in 3,254 theatres. All figures are trade estimates, not final totals.

What is the projected opening weekend for Godzilla Minus Zero?

Deadline reports that the film is tracking for a 30 to 33 million dollar opening weekend. Variety had projected roughly 30 million dollars, and Boxoffice Pro put the range at 25 to 35 million dollars. If it lands in the 30 to 33 million dollar range, it will set the record for the biggest domestic opening by a live action foreign language film.

What record would Godzilla Minus Zero break?

It would pass Hero, which opened with 17.8 million dollars in 2004 and has held the record for the biggest domestic opening by a live action foreign language film for more than two decades. It would also become the biggest debut ever for distributor GKIDS. The franchise context adds another layer. The all time box office leader for the series is Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which earned 572 million dollars worldwide in 2024.

How did audiences rate Godzilla Minus Zero?

Opening night audiences gave the film an A CinemaScore, the same grade earned by Godzilla Minus One. That grade is rare for a non English language release, and it suggests strong word of mouth for the weeks ahead. The first film also won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

Sources

Fiction Horizon: Godzilla Minus Zero Ties the Franchise Best Ever Audience Grade

Filmverse: Godzilla Minus Zero US Friday 13.5 Million, CinemaScore, Record Opening

ComicBasics: Godzilla Minus Zero Is Stomping Toward a Record Opening for a Foreign Language Film

Final Thoughts

Godzilla Minus Zero has opened with a Friday total that would be impressive for any film, and it is historic for a foreign language film. The 13.5 million dollar Friday, the 30 to 33 million dollar weekend tracking, and the A CinemaScore all point in the same direction. This is not a narrow success driven only by a small group of fans. It is a wide release that connected with a broad audience on its first night, and it did so in a busy month with strong competition.

The Japan opening adds to the story. A record opening day in the home market, a strong three day total, and forecasts of a final total above 10 billion yen show that the film is a major event in Japan as well as in North America. The worldwide opening estimate of around 60 million dollars across roughly 60 markets confirms that this is a global success, not a regional one.