"Godzilla Minus Zero" Sets Record for Largest Opening of a Live-Action Foreign-Language Film in North America

"Godzilla Minus Zero" topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $31.6 million debut, according to Rentrak data released on Nov. 8. The opening weekend marks the largest debut for any Japanese "Godzilla" film in the United States and sets a new record for the biggest opening weekend of a live-action foreign-language movie in North America, Variety reported. The overall record for foreign-language openings remains held by the Japanese animated film "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle," which earned $70.6 million in its 2025 U.S. release, Deadline noted.

The strong performance indicates continued popularity for Japanese-language "Godzilla" titles in the United States, more than seven decades after the original 1954 film, and suggests subtitles are not a barrier to box-office success. The figures also show that American and Japanese "Godzilla" productions can coexist commercially; Legendary Pictures' English-language series continues with "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova" slated for 2027, while the latest American entry, "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," opened to $80 million in 2024.

"Godzilla Minus Zero" follows the 2023 Toho reboot "Godzilla Minus One," which opened to $11.4 million and later grossed $57 million domestically. "Minus One" earned an Academy Award for best visual effects, and early reviews of "Minus Zero," which premiered at the New York Film Festival in September, have been positive.

The film finished the weekend in second place behind the animated family title "The Cat in the Hat," which earned $20.5 million, and ahead of the historical musical "Drummer Boy," which grossed $9.3 million.