Godzilla Minus Zero leads North American box office with estimated US$31 million
The projected debut would set a North American opening record for a live-action foreign-language film, ahead of The Cat in the Hat.
Godzilla Minus Zero is projected to take first place at the North American box office with an opening-weekend haul of US$31 million, according to estimates reported by Variety on November 8. Warner Bros.’ animated The Cat in the Hat is expected to finish second with around US$20 million.
The Japanese-language sequel, screened with English subtitles, would give distributor GKIDS its largest opening. It would also surpass the live-action foreign-language record held by Hero, starring Jet Li, which opened in North America in 2004 with approximately US$17.8 million.
Across 3,254 theaters, Godzilla Minus Zero collected approximately US$14.5 million on Friday, counting advance previews. Its predecessor, the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One, debuted with US$11.4 million in December 2023. Takashi Yamazaki returned as writer and director, alongside returning stars Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe.
Opening-night viewers gave the sequel an A CinemaScore, the same grade as its predecessor. The foreign-language opening record when animation is included remains with Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which launched with US$70.6 million in 2025.
The Cat in the Hat features Bill Hader as the voice of the title character and is screening at more than 4,000 theaters. Both films began their theatrical runs on November 6. Final weekend figures are expected on November 9.
