Godzilla Minus Zero opened to $32 million domestically, setting a record for both distributor Gkids and live-action foreign-language films at the U.S. box office. The film earned $14.5 million on Friday across 3,254 theaters. Takashi Yamazaki directed the sequel to 2023's Godzilla Minus One.
Imax and premium large format screens drove 74 percent of the opening weekend gross. The film was produced on an under $10 million marketing budget with zero TV spots purchased, according to iSpot data. Japan's running total since Tuesday reached $11.8 million.
The movie earned an A CinemaScore and a 95 percent positive PostTrak rating with 85 percent definite recommendation. The West region accounted for one third of the domestic gross. Audience breakdown showed 37 percent Caucasian, 32 percent Hispanic and Latino, 13 percent Asian American, and 13 percent Black.
Social media engagement on RelishMix before opening tracked 170 million impressions, 29 percent below sci-fi creature-feature genre norms across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram. The word of mouth index climbed from 6.8 on October 5 to 7.4 by November 2. RelishMix noted fan discussions centered on understanding the title and comparisons favoring the kaiju over Marvel releases, alongside appreciation for Toho's budget efficiency.
The opening marked the strongest first weekend in November post-Covid, with all films grossing an estimated $114 million domestically.