Godzilla Minus Zero has stomped into the record books. The Japanese monster movie opened in North American theaters on November 6, 2026, and is projected to earn $31 million to $32 million in its opening weekend. That is nearly triple the opening of its predecessor, 2023’s Godzilla Minus One. More importantly, it makes Minus Zero only the fourth non-English film ever to finish a weekend at No. 1 at the U.S. box office. The film earned $14.5 million on Friday, including $6.7 million from Thursday previews, from 3,254 locations across the United States and Canada.
A Historic Opening Weekend
The numbers tell a clear story. Godzilla Minus Zero opened in 3,254 North American theaters on Friday, November 6, 2026. Its Friday haul of $14.5 million put it on a path toward an estimated $32 million for the three-day weekend. That opening is nearly three times bigger than Godzilla Minus One, which launched with $11.4 million in December 2023 and went on to earn $57.1 million domestically.
Audiences have responded with strong approval. The film earned an A CinemaScore, a rare grade for a non-English, R-rated movie. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 90% critics score and a 96% audience score. The sequel also set a new record for the biggest opening day ever for a non-English live-action film in North America.
The Rare Non-English No. 1 Club
Only three non-English films had ever topped the North American weekend chart before Godzilla Minus Zero. The first was The Passion of the Christ in 2004, which opened to a massive $83.8 million. The second was Zhang Yimou’s Hero, a Chinese wuxia film that launched with $17.8 million later in 2004. The third was the anime film Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which opened to $70.6 million in September 2025.
Godzilla Minus Zero now joins that short list. Its projected $32 million opening would be the biggest live-action foreign-language opening since Hero more than two decades ago. The milestone is especially notable because the film is R-rated and fully subtitled in English for North American audiences.
Why This Milestone Matters
Non-English films rarely lead the U.S. box office. The achievement shows that American audiences are increasingly willing to watch subtitled stories on the big screen, especially when the film delivers large-scale spectacle. The success of Godzilla Minus One built a bridge for this sequel. That earlier film became a surprise winter hit and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, the first Japanese feature to do so.
Streaming data backs up the growing interest. The original Godzilla Minus One became the most-watched film across all streaming platforms in the week leading up to Minus Zero‘s release, according to the guide site JustWatch. That suggests new viewers were catching up before heading to theaters for the sequel.
Release Dates Around the World
Godzilla Minus Zero is rolling out across the globe on different dates. Here is the confirmed schedule for major markets:
- Japan: Released on November 3, 2026, which is Godzilla Day, the 72nd anniversary of the original 1954 film.
- United States and Canada: Released on November 6, 2026.
- United Kingdom and Ireland: General release on November 6, 2026, with IMAX screenings beginning November 3.
- Australia: Released on November 5, 2026.
- India: Scheduled for November 20, 2026. The date was moved from November 6 to avoid a box office clash with the Indian epic Ramayana.
- Other markets: France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico opened the weekend of November 5–6. Italy and South Korea are expected later in the rollout.
Cast and Story Background
Director Takashi Yamazaki returns to write, direct, and supervise the visual effects, just as he did for Godzilla Minus One. The core cast also comes back. Ryunosuke Kamiki plays Koichi Shikishima, a former kamikaze pilot. Minami Hamabe plays Noriko Shikishima. Min Tanaka also stars, alongside Hidetaka Yoshioka, Masami Nagasawa, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Jun Kunimura, and Sakura Ando.
The story picks up in 1949, two years after the events of Minus One. Postwar Japan is still rebuilding when a new threat arrives: the three-headed monster King Ghidorah. The film also explores whether Godzilla will return. This is the first Japanese film ever shot specifically for IMAX, and it carries an R rating, a first for the Godzilla franchise.
Critical and Audience Reception
Reviews have been largely positive. The Hollywood Reporter chief film critic David Rooney called it “a thrilling jolt of marauding monster action”. The Los Angeles Times described the action scenes as spectacular, though it noted the film carries a heavier emotional weight than its predecessor.
Audiences are equally enthusiastic. On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score sits at 96%, with the critics score at 90%. Social media reactions have been mixed but energetic. One user on X, @RykerJackson97, wrote that the sequel “is not as good as its predecessor, but it is still a fine piece of filmmaking” and noted that a packed theater in Utah applauded at the end. Another user, @GodzillaLets, weighed in on the King Ghidorah debate, saying, “Both are great… But I love the hell out of Minus Zero Ghidorah”.
Director Takashi Yamazaki spoke about the pressure of following up an Oscar-winning film. “The moment you begin to feel the pressure, you’ve already lost,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “So I tried not to pay attention to Minus One, and I told our team to do the same”.
Box Office Numbers and Records
The opening weekend numbers are strong across the board. Godzilla Minus Zero earned $14.5 million on Friday and is projected to finish the weekend with $31 million to $32 million domestically. That already surpasses the entire domestic run of some wide releases. The film’s reported budget is in the mid-teens, meaning it is already on track to be profitable for Toho and distributor GKIDS.
In Japan, the film opened on Godzilla Day with $5.7 million (¥910 million) in a single day, drawing more than 590,000 attendees. Toho is calling it an opening-day record for a live-action title in Japan. Globally, the film is expected to launch near $60 million in its first weekend across all markets.
The IMAX performance is particularly notable. 74% of the weekend gross is coming from IMAX and premium large-format screens combined, a never-before-seen statistic for a subtitled release. The film features 75 minutes of IMAX expanded aspect ratio, giving audiences a taller, more immersive image.
IMAX and Production Details
Godzilla Minus Zero is the first Japanese film ever made for IMAX. Director Takashi Yamazaki has said the format was a natural fit for the monster’s scale. “It was a very fitting film to be the first live-action film out of Japan to be filmed for IMAX,” he told UPI. The film was shot with IMAX-certified cameras, and theaters have reported that the sound mix is exceptionally loud, with some audiences receiving smartwatch health warnings due to the volume.
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Distributed by Toho in Japan and GKIDS in North America, the film is playing in 3,250 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, including every IMAX auditorium and premium large-format screen booked by GKIDS. The marketing budget for the domestic release was under $10 million, with a heavy focus on social media.
Also Read: Godzilla Minus Zero Recap: Shikishima’s Family, Ghidorah’s Origin and the Ending, Explained
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