'Godzilla Minus Zero' Crushes North American Debut With $14.5 Million USD on Opening Day

Summary

Toho and GKIDS led the North American box office as Godzilla Minus Zero earned 14.5 million USD on Friday

Directed by Takashi Yamazaki the sequel follows Godzilla battling a new monster across postwar Japan

The film secured the top spot over animated opener The Cat in the Hat and is tracking toward a 32 million USD debut

Japanese entertainment studio Toho and U.S. distributor GKIDS have stormed the North American box office with Godzilla Minus Zero, generating $14.5 million USD across 3,254 theaters on Friday. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the direct sequel to 2023’s Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One claimed the No. 1 position, pacing toward a commanding $32 million USD opening weekend debut.

Set two years after the events of the prior installment, the postwar sci-fi narrative follows Godzilla as the radioactive titan regenerates and resurfaces to defend Japan against a destructive new monster. The production has garnered glowing early word-of-mouth and positive critical marks across the board, propelling the kaiju spectacle to comfortably overpower its weekend competitors upon arrival.

In second place, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation’s The Cat in the Hat—featuring Bill Hader as the titular Dr. Seuss character—brought in $6 million USD from 4,003 theaters, falling slightly below its initial $20 to $25 million USD projections. Further down the charts, Angel Studios’ musical Drummer Boy claimed third with $3.39 million USD, followed by A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything at $2.55 million USD and Searchlight’s dark buddy comedy Wild Horse Nine with $2.47 million USD.