Godzilla Minus Zero stomps into multiplexes this weekend, and Variety reports that it's expected to head straight to the top of the box office with an impressive $30 million from 3,254 theaters.
Filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki's highly anticipated Godzilla Minus One sequel will easily fend off competition from Warner Bros. Animation's The Cat in the Hat. That's eyeing a $20 million to $25 million debut, with Wild Horse Nine debuting far behind them both with a respectable $5 million to $7 million.
In 2023, Godzilla Minus One was a surprise hit when it opened to $11.4 million on a $15 million budget (this follow-up reportedly cost around the same amount). The first movie went on to gross $113 million worldwide and won an Oscar for its Visual Effects. Godzilla Minus Zero will no doubt go on to earn quite a bit more, especially as it's projected to kick off its global run with $60 million this weekend.
The Cat in the Hat runs the risk of being another box office dud for Warner Bros., as that $20+ million start is well below previous Dr. Seuss adaptations like The Grinch ($67 million) and The Lorax ($70 million). However, if it follows the trajectory of Garfield—which had a soft $23 million start—then it could do pretty well, as that movie went on to make $91 million domestically and $257 million globally.
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is only expected to gross $6 million in North America this weekend, but globally, it's eyeing a start ranging from $30 million to $75 million, so it should be well worth keeping an eye on.
Where will Clayface land? The DC Studios movie isn't mentioned in current projections from the trades, suggesting it'll be something of a non-factor given how much competition there is this weekend. As a result, the body horror's run is already winding down.
War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. In Godzilla Minus Zero, two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life. Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant. There is no third time. Everything ends here.
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the movie stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Jun Kunimura, Miou Tanaka, Sakura Ando, Masami Nagasawa, Min Tanaka, and Hidetaka Yoshioka.
Shot entirely in Japan as the first-ever Japanese production filmed for IMAX, Godzilla Minus Zero was shot with high-definition digital cameras certified by IMAX, and optimised in sound and imagery unique to IMAX screens. The globally beloved monster returns to movie theater screens, reaching greater and more terrifying heights, making Godzilla Minus Zero a true cinematic event not to be missed.
Godzilla Minus Zero arrives in theaters on November 6.