NEW YORK (AP) – "Godzilla Minus Zero" roared into theaters over the weekend, raking in an impressive $31.6 million and marking a record for the highest debut of a foreign-language film at the North American box office. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, this sequel to the Oscar-winning "Godzilla Minus One" triumphed over Warner Bros.' animated adaptation of "The Cat in the Hat," which managed to garner $20.5 million in its opening weekend, alongside an additional $10 million from overseas markets.
Celebrating his 72nd birthday recently, Godzilla's continued relevance on the big screen can largely be attributed to Yamazaki's efforts to return the franchise to its Japanese roots. Produced by Toho, with North American distribution handled by GKids, "Godzilla Minus Zero" unfolds in post-WWII Japan, captivating audiences with its narrative and visual aesthetics. Historically, the film's opening weekend surpasses that of live-action foreign-language films previously held by "Hero" (2004) at $17.9 million, while last year's anime hit "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" opened with $70.6 million.
The success of "Godzilla Minus Zero" not only emphasizes the appeal of international films among American audiences but also showcases the increasing trend of foreign productions making a splash in the North American market. Japanese and Indian films, particularly, have been resonating well with viewers. Notably, "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend," an epic Hindi-language film released by Sony Pictures in North America, opened with an impressive $8.7 million domestically and amassed $32 million in India.
With simultaneous global releases, both "Godzilla Minus Zero" and "Ramayana" debuted at home concurrently with their international launches. In Japan, "Godzilla Minus Zero" earned an additional $17 million over the same weekend. Koji Ueda, president of Toho Global, attested to the film's global connection, highlighting the positive reception and recognition of Yamazaki's creative vision. "Godzilla Minus One," which previously won the Oscar for best visual effects, had already established itself as the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film in the U.S. and Canada, despite a budget of less than $15 million.
With "Godzilla Minus Zero" operating on a budget under $20 million, industry experts predict it will soon exceed its predecessor's financial achievement of $57.1 million. The film has garnered positive responses from critics, with a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A" CinemaScore, solidifying its status as a crowd-pleaser. Both "Godzilla" and "Ramayana" were also shot for IMAX, contributing to their financial success. In fact, "Godzilla Minus Zero" generated $21.3 million from IMAX screenings, accounting for 34% of its total box office.
The notable success of "Godzilla Minus Zero" may set high expectations for the upcoming Hollywood release of "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova" from Warner Bros. and Legendary, set to debut in March. Conversely, the animated retelling of "The Cat in the Hat" faced disappointing returns, paling in comparison. With a hefty production budget of $86 million, it could only muster $20.5 million, amidst poor reviews scoring just 44% on Rotten Tomatoes.
In the midst of this, Laika's "Wildwood," a stop-motion animated fantasy, continued to perform well, even leading the box office for a time earlier in the week. "Wildwood" dipped only 22% in its third weekend, bringing in $7 million and amassing a total of $39.8 million domestically, despite production costs of at least $100 million, indicating potential losses ahead.
Meanwhile, Angel Studios' opening weekend entry "Drummer Boy" achieved $9.3 million. This Revolutionary War-era musical performed well in its initial launch, also finding success with its music topping the iTunes charts. Another noteworthy entry was Martin McDonagh's "Wild Horse Nine," which opened successfully with a $6 million domestic gross and $6.6 million internationally, marking a strong performance for an awards contender.
In limited releases, potential Oscar contenders such as "Club Kid" and "I Play Rocky" also posted strong per-theater averages, showcasing the breadth of successful films over the weekend. Following a quiet Halloween box office, ticket sales surged by an impressive 96.8% from the previous weekend, reflecting the strong appeal and marketing of both "Godzilla Minus Zero" and other noteworthy titles in competition.
The top ten movies by domestic box office figures were rounded out as follows: "Godzilla Minus Zero" at $31.6 million, "The Cat in the Hat" at $20.5 million, "Drummer Boy" at $9.3 million, and "You Can See Everything" at $8.9 million, among others, illustrating a vibrant weekend for the film industry.
